With Open Arms
by YouThinkYouNoeMe
Summary: [Finished] Randy's Evolution gimmick is getting to his head. Where can Trish turn when things get out of hand? CharactersxPairings: Trish StratusxRandy Orton, Stephanie McMahonxChris Jericho, Triple H, Batista, Ric Flair, Dawn Marie, others
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I own no one!  All people belong to themselves and Vince McMahon.

Characters: Trish Stratus, Edge, Randy Orton, Jericho, Stephanie McMahon, Triple H, Christian, Ric Flair, Vince McMahon, Lita, Dawn Marie, Stacy Keibler, and probably more.

PART 1

JUNE 2003

Trish Stratus pushed the button on the treadmill, stepping off after it came to a complete stop.  She wiped the sweat off of her brow, satisfied with her workout.  She headed to the locker room, pulling her shirt off as she stepped into the room.  She stripped down and walked into the showers.  When she was finished she got dressed, grabbed her bag and headed back out into the gym.  Making her way to the door, she bumped into another WWE diva, Stacy Keibler.

"Hey Trish!" Stacy said cheerfully.

"Oh, hi Stace… what's up?" Trish responded, smiling at her friend.

"Not too much.  I have to get to working out, I'm supposed to meet Andrew in an hour and a half, and you know how long it takes me to shower and doll myself up," the leggy blonde said.

Trish nodded, "Okay Stace, I'll see you at the show then."  She turned to walk away, but Stacy grabbed her arm.

"Oh wait, before I forget.  I saw Randy on my way out of the hotel… he said he wants you to call him as soon as you get a chance," she said, suddenly recalling her earlier conversation.

"Oh, okay… thanks Stacy.  See you later," Trish replied, waving goodbye to her friend.  She walked out to her rental car, taking her cell phone out of her bag and then tossing the bag in the backseat.  Sitting down in the driver's seat, she found Randy's number in her phone book and pressed send.

"Hello?" the masculine voice called from the other end.

"Hey!" Trish said, smiling as she put the key in the ignition and put the car in drive.

"Hey honey," Randy said.  "What's up?"

"Nothing, I'm just leaving the gym now.  I bumped into Stacy and she told me you wanted me to call you," she answered, pulling out of the parking lot.

"Yeah, I saw her earlier," Randy explained.  "I have awesome news Trish," he continued, excitement clear in his tone.  Trish smiled as she heard how happy he sounded.

"Well, what is it?" she asked eagerly.

"I just got out of my meeting with Vince, and guess what's going to happen tonight when I return?" he asked, grinning.  Trish's grin widened.  Randy had been so excited about coming back from his foot injury… she couldn't wait to see what they had in store for him.

"Suspense is killing me Randy… what is it already?" she asked.

"They're reforming Evolution!" he said happily.  Trish's smile faded… Evolution?

"Oh… that… that's great Randy," she said, though her tone was unenthusiastic.  Randy frowned at the tone of her voice.

"You don't sound too excited," he commented.  Trish knew she should be happy for Randy, but she just couldn't be… not after the way he'd acted the last time Evolution was around.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, the Canadian diva responded, "I am!  Really Randy, I'm so happy for you.  Congratulations."  This time she put on a cheerier tone, much to Randy's approval.

"Thanks babe… I gotta go.  Paul and Ric want to talk to me about the show.  Talk to you later," he said, hanging up.  As she stopped at a red light, Trish sighed.  _Here we go again._

Trish Stratus and Randy Orton began dating in the summer of 2002, shortly after he made his WWE debut.  The two instantly connected, and became a couple almost immediately.  For the first couple months of their relationship, everything was perfect.  Randy was a total gentleman, and he really went out of this way to make Trish feel special.  In an industry where she was considered by many to be nothing more than a sex toy, being treated like a lady was a warm welcome to the diva.  Then, Vince McMahon had presented Randy with the idea of Evolution.  In a group similar to the Four Horsemen, he would join forces with Ric Flair, Triple H, and Dave Batista to basically raise hell among WWE.  At first, Trish was just as ecstatic as Randy was… if anyone deserved a push, it was him.  Then, it occurred to her that Paul Levesque would be the leader of the new group.  Trish didn't like Paul at all, especially because of the way he used Stephanie McMahon to buy himself backstage power.  He'd once said that he saw something in Randy, and that he wanted to mold him into something along the lines of a young Triple H.  Levesque was *not* the type of role model that Trish wanted her boyfriend to have.  He was a lying, cheating, backstabbing, no good son of a bitch.  Stephanie had once confided in Trish that she'd known Paul had cheated on her with at least ten women… and that they were only the ones she _caught_ him with.  But Stephanie was so pressured by her father to get married that she couldn't leave him, so she didn't do a damn thing about it.  Trish worried that hanging around The Game too often would cause some of his habits to rub off on Randy.  She loved Randy, and she wasn't going to give him up to Levesque without a fight.

A few weeks into the whole Evolution getup, Trish's fears were somewhat confirmed.  Her boyfriend would party with Levesque, Flair, and Batista every night, stumbling in at all hours.  He wouldn't tell her where he was or what he did.  Then, during a match with the Dudley's at a house show there was a mishap, causing Dave, Bubba, and Randy to all get hurt.  Once Randy was home with a broken foot, everything returned back to normal.  He turned back into his old, sweet self.  No more drinking, no more partying, no more Levesque.  It was a welcome change, to say the least.  Even when Randy came back on the road and began working dark matches, he remained the great guy that Trish had fallen for.  Now that she heard Evolution was getting back together, the tiny diva was beginning to have doubts that Randy's kindness would last.  _Please, don't let Paul drag him in too far,_ she thought.  Trish sighed again, hoping this whole Evolution gimmick would only last for a short while.

LATER THAT NIGHT 

Adam Copeland walked down the arena hallway with his best friend Jay Reso and another good friend, Chris Irvine.  The three Canadians were in search of the catering room, as all three of them hadn't eaten in hours.

"Man, I am depressed," Chris declared, throwing his hands in the air.  Neither Adam nor Jay responded, the two Canadians merely laughing and shaking their heads.  When they didn't answer, Chris sent them a shocked look.  "Don't you want to know why?" he asked.  _You two better say yes._  Adam sighed… he knew it would be best to humor him.

"Of course I do Chris.  Tell me, why is it that you're so depressed?" he asked, face breaking into a grin.  _This should be interesting._

"I need to get laid," Chris said bluntly.  Both Adam and Jay did double takes.

"What?" Jay asked, trying to contain the laughter bubbling inside of him.  Chris's serious expression didn't change.

"I'm not kidding man… I haven't had sex in so long it isn't fucking funny."  That did it for E and C… both blonde men began to crack up at Chris's statement.  Jay grinned, thinking of his wife Denise.

"Well Jericho, I can honestly say that I *don't* have that problem," he replied.  Adam snorted, shaking his head at his best friend.

"Well, I guess we can' all be so lucky, can we?" he commented dryly.  Adam had always sworn that he'd be the one to get married first.  It was nothing against Jay, and he was extremely happy that his friend had found someone, but he'd just always pictured himself settling down first.  Yet here he was, two years _after_ Jay's wedding, still single.

"Yeah Jay… we can't all go home at the end of the week and have a wife to release our tension on, so shut the fuck up," Chris said.  Just then, a thought popped into his head.  "Let's go get smashed tonight," he suggested.  Adam and Jay laughed again, both men thinking of the infamous Blizzard of the Millennium story.

"No way," Jay said, putting his hands up in protest.

"Yeah," Adam added.  "Remember Jerky, last time you made us drink with you I ended up jumping out of a window and wrestling in a mountain of snow with no shirt or shoes on."

Chris pouted, "Oh fine, but I'll remember this the next time YOU need ME for something!"

"Yeah, right… how can there be a next time when there hasn't even been a first?" Jay asked cockily.

The three men turned into the catering room, where Adam caught sight of Trish Stratus.  She was sitting on a couch in the back of the room, with her knees at her chest.  She looked a little upset, and Adam wondered if she was okay.  He kept looking at her, until a hand blocked his line of vision.

"Hey, quit staring unless you plan on actually _talking_ to her," Jay said playfully.  Adam pushed Jay's hand out of the way, silently moving past him.  As he made his way over to Trish, he ignored Chris and Jay's quiet singing, "Trishie and Adam sitting in a tree, F-U-C-K-I-N-G!"  Adam walked over to the couch, stopping in front of it and sitting down next to her.

"Trish?  You okay?" he asked, his voice snapping her out of her daze.

"Oh, hey Adam.  Yeah, I'm fine, I was just thinking about something," she replied.  Adam eyed her with concern.

"Well, do you want to tell me what that something is?  And whether or not I have to beat that something up?" he questioned, grinning softly at her.  Trish smiled, Adam was always such a great guy.  He always did his best to protect and take care of her… like a big brother or something.  She had had a little crush on him in her beginning days with WWE, but Adam just seemed to want to be her friend.  Eventually, Randy came along, and she just decided to push her feelings for Adam out the window.

"Well, the something is kind of Randy," she started, "but I'd rather you *not* beat him up."

Adam winced as he heard the blonde woman mention Orton's name.  It was just a painful reminder that Trish was unavailable.  Ever since she'd made her debut in the WWE, then WWF, he'd developed a major crush on her.  He was absolutely intrigued by her beauty and her amazing personality.  He'd always decided against asking her out because she didn't seem to be the type to date in the business.  To tell the truth, he'd never really been that type either, until she came along.  The two became fast friends and they hung out all the time.  Then, as they became closer and closer, it became clear that she didn't like to date people she was good friends with, for fear of them losing the friendship if it didn't work out.  After about a year after she arrived, Adam realized that he was falling in love with her.  Then he'd found out she was dating Randy Orton.  That had hurt, especially since she was the one who told him about it.  He knew she hadn't meant to hurt him because she had no clue that it *would* upset him, but finding out that Trish *would* date someone in the company by seeing her with someone else didn't settle well with the Canadian.  Still, he was one of Trish's good friends, and he had to help her with her problems, even if they did involve Randy Orton.

"Damn… okay, I won't hurt him… for now," Adam said, grinning playfully.  "So seriously, what's going on?" he asked, genuinely concerned.  Trish sighed, raking a hand through her blonde hair.

"Well, Randy told me that they're putting Evolution, minus Dave because of his triceps injury, back together tonight," she explained.  Adam nodded, understanding right away.  He knew Trish hated it the last time Evolution was around, all because of that damn Paul Levesque.  Adam knew that that man was a parasite, sucking all the power he could from Vince and Stephanie.  Adam couldn't count how many times Trish had called him in the middle of the night to say that Randy wasn't back yet, and he couldn't count all the times he'd wanted to go out and find him and beat the shit out of him for being so stupid as to realize what a great girl he had in Trish.

"Oh, that's not good," he replied, to which she shook her head in agreement.  He looked over at the clock, standing as he realized what time it was.  "I have to go, but call me later if you want, okay?" he said.  She nodded and he patted her on the head, turning and heading back to the locker room.  _Well, _he thought to himself._  I guess I'll be closely watching Randy Orton from now on._

**Should I continue?**


	2. Part 2

PART 2

ONE MONTH LATER

Trish sat in the back of the Women's Locker Room, pretending to be reading a magazine.  It had been about a month since Vince McMahon had reformed Evolution, and Trish hated the angle more now than ever.  All the things she had feared happening were slowly but surely coming true.  She couldn't remember the last time her and Randy spent a night together as a couple.  They rarely saw each other on their days off, and all of Randy's time on the road was being spent with his new friends.  He went out virtually every night with Paul, Ric, and Kevin Nash, and sometimes he wouldn't return to their hotel until three or four in the morning.  What was worse for Trish was that she couldn't blame Randy.  He hadn't really done anything to hurt her… he'd even invited her to go along with the guys from time to time, but she always refused.  She wanted nothing to do with those guys… the only problem with that was that Randy was constantly with them.  Trish sighed, not hearing the door open.  Amy Dumas and Dawn Marie made their way into the room.  Once Amy noticed Trish in the back, she grabbed Dawn by the arm, gesturing to the distraught looking diva.

"Hey Trish, what's wrong?" Amy asked, garnering the blonde woman's attention.

Sighing again, Trish responded, "Oh nothing Ames."  The two women sat down on either side of her, neither one of them believing her answer at all.

"Bullshit," Dawn Marie said.  "Come on, you know you can tell us.  What's the matter?"  Trish ran her manicured fingers through her hair, but she said nothing, simply turning her attention back to her magazine.  Amy had a pretty good idea as to what… rather, *who*… was bothering her friend.

"It's Randy, isn't it?" the redhead asked.  Trish nodded sadly.

"Yeah… I just don't understand why this is happening.  I mean, Randy isn't like them.  When he's with me he's so sweet and caring, but as soon as Paul and Ric come along and ask for him, it's like he's a totally different person," she explained.

"I never did like that Levesque.  All he does is use people for money and power," Amy commented.

"Yeah, look at what he did and continues to do to poor Stephanie.  I feel horrible for her.  The way he uses her… it's such a shame.  I know I wouldn't want my boyfriend to take after him," Dawn added.  Trish frowned… her friends' words certainly weren't making her feel any better.

"Gee thanks guys," Trish said sarcastically.  Dawn frowned.  Her comment was a little insensitive.  She sighed, placing her hand on the Canadian's shoulder.

"I'm sorry Trish.  Is there anything we can do to make you feel better, even if it's just a little bit?" she asked.  The blonde woman thought for a moment, pondering what she could do to get her mind off of Randy.  Amy thought about it too, when suddenly an idea popped into her head.

"I know!" she said excitedly.  "Dawn and I are supposed to go to a club tonight with Matt, Jeff, the Canadians, and a bunch of other people… you should come with us!"  Dawn nodded, smiling as she remembered the plans they had made earlier. 

Trish frowned, "I don't know guys…"  She wasn't much of a partier, and she usually just went right back to her hotel after shows.  Still, a night out *would* be a good way to get all her thoughts out of her mind.  Maybe it would be good for her after all… that way, she wouldn't be spending her whole night thinking of where Randy was and what he was up to.

"Oh come on… please?" Dawn said, pouting at her and giving her puppy dog eyes.  Trish broke into a small smile and laughed.

"Okay, okay, I'll go.  Maybe it'll be good for me," she replied.  "Now, I'm going to see if I can find Randy now… maybe I can get him to break away from Levesque and join us."  With that, she stood, fixing the hem of her shirt as she made her way out of the room.  Once she was gone, Dawn and Amy turned to each other, grinning as they high-fived over their victory.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

As soon as Trish stepped out of the locker room, she bumped right into the man she was looking for.  She grinned as he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.

"Hey, I was just about to knock," he said, grinning.

"I was just about to come look for you," she replied.  She pulled his face to hers for another kiss, this one lingering a little longer.

"You seem happy," Randy noted.  She hadn't really been too thrilled with him since he started hanging out with Paul and his friends again.  He couldn't blame her, as he did have a tendency to ignore her when Levesque was around, but he couldn't help it… after all, he _was_ responsible for getting him the nice push he was receiving.

"I am.  Listen, I know you're probably supposed to go out with Paul tonight, but do you think you could make a change, just this once?" she requested.

"Well what would I be changing my plans to?" he questioned curiously.  He supposed he *did* owe her at least one night after all the time he'd spent out.

"Well, I was just talking to Amy and Dawn, and they want me to go this club with them and the guys.  I haven't gone out with them in so long, and I want you to come with me," she answered.  Randy frowned.  He didn't exactly fit in with Amy's crowd… they were just different then he was.  He wanted to make Trish happy, but he didn't want to do by hanging out with her friends.

"I-I don't know Trish… who's going?  Which guys?" he asked.

"Oh please!  Matt and Jeff are going, and so is Chris, and Adam and Jay, and probably Shane and Shannon, maybe even Brock and Rob," she said.  Randy had only heard some of the names, as he stopped thinking after hearing the fourth one.  _Adam._  Adam Copeland had always had a thing for his girlfriend, and he knew it.  He didn't think Trish saw him as anything more than a friend, but he still didn't want her hanging around him.  Sighing, he figured he'd better go with Trish… it would keep her happy for awhile, and he could keep an eye on Adam.  He didn't think Adam would ever make a move on Trish, but he wanted to be totally sure.

"Oh, alright.  I'll go talk to Paul now," he gave in, causing Trish to break out into a huge grin.  She stood on her toes and kissed him again.

"Thank you Randy… I'm gonna go find the guys and tell them we're going," she said before walking away.  Randy sighed, leaning up against the door.  He knew Paul wasn't going to like it when he said he wasn't going with them that night.

THAT NIGHT 

Paul Levesque sat on the couch in the Evolution locker room.  He smiled and nodded as Flair came in and joined him, sitting across from him on an armchair.  The two of them sat in silence, watching as the theme song of Raw began to play through the arena.  The door opened, and both men looked up to see Randy Orton.

"Hey kid, where have you been?" Paul asked, taking a sip of his water bottle.

"Yeah, we haven't seen you all day," Ric added.  Randy walked into the room and sat down on the couch that Paul was sitting on.  He hadn't seen them all day basically because he had been avoiding them.  He wasn't sure how they would react to him telling them that he wasn't going out with them that night.  Sometimes Ric, and especially Paul, could get a little crazy about stuff like that.

"I… I know.  I had to spend some time with Trish," he lied.  While he had spent a good hour or so with her, most of the day he was hiding, moving from room to room, wherever he knew that they weren't.

"Oh… I hate it when Steph does that.  She's always bitching to me about spending time with her.  _You never spend any time with me Paul_," Levesque said mockingly.  He didn't see the look that Randy shot him.

"It's not so bad," he said.  "I like spending time with Trish."

Ric laughed, "Give it another couple months kid, it won't be so fun anymore when she's nagging you to have sex at 7 in the morning after you were out all night.  It gets old quick."

"Oh… well, um, guys… I have to tell you something," Randy said nervously.  He figured it would be best if he just spit it out.  "I'm not coming out with you tonight."  He looked away, bracing himself for whatever reaction he was going to get.

"Why not?  What do you have to do that's better than hanging out with us?" Paul asked curiously, raising an eyebrow.  He couldn't see what could possibly be better than hanging out with him.

"Well, I kinda told Trish I'd take her to a club with her friends," Randy said timidly.  He looked down at the floor as Flair and Levesque shook their heads.

"You're stiffing us for your girlfriend?" Ric asked in disbelief.  He and Paul needed Randy to go out with them.  He was the main reason they got as many chicks in a night as they did.  Even if he did turn them all down, they usually then settled on either him or Paul.

"I don't want to, but the club they're going to… well, Adam Copeland's going too, and I know he's got a thing for Trish and I don't want him to…"

"Adam Copeland?  He's wanted her since she got here… and he hasn't done a damn thing about it.  He's too shy for his own good," Paul said.  "The way I see it, you go with them, you're deserting us.  We're your friends Randy, not them.  You don't want to bail out on your friends, do you?"  Randy sighed, shaking his head.  Trish was going to flip, but to be honest he'd rather be on her bad side then Paul's.  He didn't really want to go to the club with them anyway.

"You're right... I guess I'll go tell Trish I changed my mind."

As he walked out the door, Paul called after him, "Don't let her boss you around Randy… you're the man in the relationship.  Once he was gone and the door clicked shut, he turned to Flair.

"You know Ric, I told you that Stratus bitch was bad news.  She's going to be a serious pain in my ass, I can feel it already," he commented.  The Nature Boy snorted.

"Yeah… I just hope he doesn't pick her over us."  It was Paul's turn to snort.

"Oh, he won't… I'll make sure of that."

**Well, what do you think?**


	3. Part 3

PART THREE

AT A CLUB

"Jay, I don't see any of their cars anywhere… are you sure we're at the right club?" Adam asked as he stepped out of the car, glancing around the dark parking lot.  He'd seen a couple of the guys' rental cars earlier that night, and he couldn't see any that he remembered.  After the show everyone had agreed to drive to the club together, but since Adam and Jay were running late, they agreed to meet the rest of the group there.

Jay shrugged, searching the lot as well.  "I don't know man… this is definitely the address Matt gave me," he said.

"Think about what you just said Jay," Adam replied, shaking his head.  Jay laughed.

"You're right… it *was* Matt that gave me the address," he agreed, thinking that the elder Hardy was playing a prank of them.  Jay swore sometimes that Matt had the maturity of a twelve year old boy.

"Exactly… we should have known better than to trust him," Adam said, laughing.  Jay scanned the parking lot one more time before turning back to Adam.

"I don't think they're here… but maybe we should just go inside to check.  Remember, we're talking about Matt.  He would go as far as to make everyone park around the corner just so we'd _think_ they weren't here," Jay said, eyeing his best friend.

"True… I guess we could just go in and check," Adam responded.  As they were walking to the door, the Canadian saw a limo outside, wondering who could have been inside.  The two blonde men entered the club, looking around for any signs of their friends.  Adam didn't see Matt, Chris, or any of the girls, but he did see someone he recognized.  Jay stopped looking as he heard his cell phone ringing.

"Hello?" he asked, pressing his hand against his free ear to drown out the music blaring from the club.  He shook his head when he heard Matt's voice on the other end.

"Jay, it's Matt.  Listen, I think I gave you the wrong address for the club.  The one we're at is on Fifth, not Sixth.  Sorry about that dude," he called from the equally noisy interior of the club he was at.  Jay rolled his eyes.

"Right Matt… real funny giving us the wrong address," he said sarcastically.

"I didn't mean to this time, I swear!" Matt insisted.  Laughing, Jay rolled his eyes again.

"Right Matt… I believe you, really.  Alright, we'll be there in a couple minutes," Jay said, ending the call.  He put his phone back into the pocket of his khakis and looked over at Adam.

"Come on man, I found out where they are," he said, waiting for Adam to follow him.  His best friend didn't budge though.  Jay turned back and looked at him… his eyes seemed to be fixed on something.  Grabbing him by the forearm, Jay spoke again.

"Dude, come on… we have to go now," he called out to him, shaking his arm.  Not moving his head from where he was staring.

"Jay, look over there… isn't that Randy?" Adam asked, gesturing to a table across the room.  It had to be Randy, because also seated at the table were Paul Levesque and Ric Flair.  _Well, I guess that would explain the limo out front.  God forbid Evolution have to drive themselves anywhere._

"Yeah, I guess that his him… the monkeys are with him… I guess he's not coming to the club with Trish then," Jay said, shrugging.  "Come on, don't worry about it… let's just get out of here.  Adam sighed, giving in and turning away.  Once they got to the door, he couldn't help but turn back, and when he did he almost wished he hadn't.

"Jay, look," he said, turning his friend back to face the inside of the club.

Jay groaned as he turned around.  Adam was always keeping an eye on Randy… especially since Evolution had reformed.  Jay guessed that Trish complained to him about it, because he had made it his personal duty to watch Orton's every move.  The shorter man turned around, gasping slightly at what he saw.  Randy had since moved to the dance floor with a very leggy brunette, and the two of them were dancing together with about a millimeter of space between them.  Not only that, but the young man's hands were dangerously close to the woman's ass.  He certainly didn't seem to be missing Trish too much.

"What the fuck is he doing with that chick?" Adam asked, feeling the anger beginning to boil within him.  He watched, incensed, as Randy slid his hand down the girl's butt, leaving it there and they sealed off the miniscule distance between them.  Jay shook his head.

"I don't know, but he looks pretty happy with her," he commented.  Jay wasn't going to jump to conclusions, because they could just be dancing, but he didn't think Randy would be very happy if he saw Trish dancing like that with Adam or another guy.

"I have to tell Trish," Adam said, as Jay finally pulled him out the door.

"I-I don't know man… maybe it would be best if you…"

"If I what?" Adam cut in, offended.  "Let him fuck around on her?"  Jay shook his head.

"No… but Adam, you don't even know that he's fucking around on her.  The only thing you saw him do was dance a little too close to that girl.  He's probably just drunk," Jay said.  He felt that Trish had a right to know, but he didn't want them to be the ones stepping in unless they saw something really bad.

"Drunk my ass," Adam grumbled as they got in the car.  He couldn't believe Orton would have the balls to dance like that with some random girl when he could very well be dancing with Trish.  He sighed, hoping that she would soon come to her senses and see that Randy Orton was not all he was cracked up to be.

AT THE OTHER CLUB 

About ten minutes later the two Canadians arrived at the next club… the club they were *supposed* to be at.  They walked in and looked around for the group, spotting them after a minute or two.  They went over to the tables and sat down, greeting everyone as they did so.  Adam noticed that while Dawn Marie and Amy were on the dance floor, Trish was sitting at the table watching.  Taking the seat next to her, Adam placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey Trish… what's wrong?" he asked, eyeing her with concern.  She didn't look to be having very much fun.

Putting on a fake smile, Trish answered him, "Nothing's wrong Adam.  I just don't feel like dancing."  She knew that her response wouldn't satisfy him, as Adam had a tendency to be able to see right through to her.

"Don't lie to me Stratus… you never were good at that," he said, laughing quietly.

"I know Copeland… I just don't want you to worry, that's all," she said, looking away.  To tell the truth, she really would have liked to talk to him about what was bothering her, but she didn't want to bitch at him anymore.  She always complained to him about her problems, and she was beginning to wonder when he was going to get fed up and tell her to go away.

"Well now that scares me.  That means something's wrong.  And you know I won't give up till I find out, so you might as well tell me now and get it over with," he told her, cupping her chin in his hand and turning her face towards him.  He frowned as he saw the sad look in her eyes.  Trish was rarely sad, so her distraught expression worried Adam.

"Well… not to repeat myself for the eighth time or anything, but it's Randy.  He told me he would come with me here tonight, and then he bailed on me for Paul and Flair _again_," she said, frowning bitterly.  Adam scowled as he suddenly thought of the club he was just at where he saw Randy with that woman.  He thought of telling Trish, but he didn't want to worsen her already bad mood, so instead he tried to cheer her up.

"Well you know what I think?" he said suddenly, causing her to raise her eyebrows.  "I think you shouldn't even think about Randy tonight.  If he wants to ditch you for those losers, we'll just have a good time without him.  Come on, I'll go buy you a drink and then you can get on the dance floor with the girls."  Trish thought about his suggestion for a moment.  She _could_ use a good, stiff drink at the moment.  Maybe she should just let loose and have fun… hell, if Randy was off having a good time without her, she might as well have some fun herself.

"You know what Adam… you're right."

LATE THAT NIGHT 

Trish quietly shut the hotel room door behind her, waiting for it to click before locking the chain and walking into the room.  She wasn't sure if Randy was back yet, but she didn't want to wake him if he was.  She smiled to herself, thinking of the wonderful time she'd had at the club with her friends.  The Canadian diva promised them she would join them the next time they decided to all go out, she had actually had that much fun.  As she crept into the bedroom, she jumped when Randy's voice startled her.

"Where the hell were you?" he asked angrily, eyeing her as she put her purse down on the nightstand.  Trish sent him a confused look.

"I was at the club with everyone," she said shrugging.  She didn't see what the big deal was.

"Well why are you coming in so late?  Why didn't you call me and tell me what time you were coming back?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.  Trish rolled her eyes at him.

"Sorry _Dad_, but I wasn't aware that I had to tell you where I was going and what time I'd be back!" Trish said, raising her voice slightly.  She couldn't believe he had the nerve to talk to her like that when it was usually *him* that was out until all hours of the night.

"Listen Trish, I'm only saying this cause I was worried about you," he said, dropping his arms to his sides.  Trish didn't buy a word he was saying.  She could see by the look in his eyes that he was trying to sweet talk her, probably because he felt guilty for snapping on her.

"Sure you were.  Let me ask you a question Randy… do you worry about me when you're out with YOUR friends until four in the morning?" she asked angrily, placing her hands on her hips.  Randy frowned… he wasn't expecting her to get mad.

"Okay, okay, you're right.  I'm sorry baby… can you forgive me for snapping like that?" he asked, putting his hands on top of hers and giving her puppy dog eyes.  Trish sighed, forcing herself to look away from him.  God, his eyes could just make her melt.  She realized that she couldn't be mad at him even though she wanted to.

"Oh fine… let's just go to bed," she said tiredly.  When she walked by, Randy exhaled, grateful that he'd once again gotten himself out of trouble.  He pulled his jeans off, jumping when he saw a folded piece of paper falling out of the pocket.  He leaned down and picked it up, shoving it back in before Trish even noticed it.  He once again sighed with relief… if Trish had seen the number he'd gotten from that chick at the club, she'd flip.  He jumped into bed, smiling as she laid down next to him.  He'd have to remind himself to be more careful next time.

**Here's the next chapter.  Review please, cause I'm really starting to get into this fic.  LOL, thanks guys!**


	4. Part 4

PART FOUR TWO WEEKS LATER 

"Hey Paul, can I talk to you for a second?" Randy said, sticking his head into the Evolution Locker Room.  Paul looked up from the bodybuilding magazine he was looking at which, of course, had a spread on him in it.

"Sure kid, what's up?" he asked, watching as the young man came into the room and sat on the couch.  He put his magazine down, eyeing Orton expectantly.

"Well, I have a problem," he said.

"Okay," Levesque said, nodding.  "What kind of problem?"

"Well, it has to do with two weeks ago, the night I went to the club with you guys instead of Trish," he said, watching Paul noticeably scowl when he mentioned the Canadian diva's name.  The World Heavyweight Champion was getting a little sick of hearing Trish's name all the time.  He knew right from the start she would be a pain in his ass.

"Look, if she's still mad at you about that, tell her to get the hell…"

"No, it's not that," he interrupted.  "She's completely forgotten about that.  What I mean is that while we were out, Adam and Jay Reso walked into the club we were in."

"So?" Paul said, shrugging.  So what if the two blondie's were in the same room as them?

"So, Adam saw me with that girl… you know, that really hot brunette?  The one who gave me her number?  He saw us dancing together.  He came up to me yesterday and said something about it," Randy said, thinking back to the conversation he'd had with Adam the other day.

_"Oh, hey Adam, what's up?" Randy asked, opening his hotel room door a little wider._

_"Since Trish is out with Amy and Dawn, I figured I'd take this opportunity to come see you… we need to have a talk," Adam said in a very serious tone.  Randy raised an eyebrow, stepping out of the way and allowing the Canadian inside._

_"Um… okay.  What is it?" he asked, confused.  He and Adam had never really spoken to each other much before, so his sudden request for a conversation surprised Randy._

_"About a week and a half ago, you were supposed to go to a club with us and Trish, but you went with your boys instead," Adam started, and Randy sent him an even more confused look.  Like Adam said, that was over a week ago… why would he be bringing it up now?_

_"Yeah…"_

_"Well, I've been debating what to do about this since that night.  I was thinking about going straight to Trish, but I'm not a tattletale, no matter how much I wanted to say something.  See, Jay and I got the wrong directions from Matt and we ended up at the club you guys were at.  Well, I caught a glimpse of you, and let's just say you were pretty up close and personal with a real leggy brunette," Adam explained, narrowing his eyes at the younger man.  Randy's eyes widened as he realized what he'd just heard.  Adam had caught him dancing with that chick that he met at the bar… the one that gave him her number._

_"I, uh… listen, about that…"_

_"Look, I don't even want to know what you were up to that night Randy, just know this.  I'm not going to tell Trish this time.  But I swear Orton, if I catch you up to something like that again, not only will I tell Trish, but I'll beat the shit out of you as well," he said dangerously.  Randy swallowed hard, looking up at the slightly taller man.  He could tell by the look in Adam's intense eyes that he was dead serious._

_"Okay… is that all?" he asked, trying to sound confident.  Adam rolled his eyes as Randy cockily crossed his arms over his broad chest._

_"Yeah, that's all."_

"You honestly think he's going to do anything about that?" Paul asked, laughing as Randy concluded the story.

"Uh, yeah… he seemed pretty serious," Randy replied, eyeing his friend.  Shaking his head, Paul moved over to the couch Randy was on and patted him on the shoulder.

"Randy, you have to understand that there are two kinds of guys in this world.  Guys that talk shit, and guys that make shit happen.  Adam Copeland is all talk… he won't say or do anything.  Trish is yours… he's not going to take her from you," he said.  _But I can't help but wish he would… get the damn bitch off my ass._

"I don't know, man," Randy said.

"Look, if you're worried he's going to say something, let me handle it," Levesque replied, turning to see what Orton's reaction would be.  The younger man sent him a confused look.

"What do you mean let you handle it?"

Sighing, Paul ran a hand through his hair, "I mean, let me handle it.  I know from experience what Copeland and his friends are like.  I can't tell you how many times I've had to hear shit from Jericho and Reso and that whole entire group for 'not treating Steph properly' and all that.  Let me go talk to him, and I'm positive I can get the whole mess straightened out," he explained.

"I… what the hell, go ahead," Randy said, hesitantly at first.  If anyone was good at persuading people, it was Paul.  Standing, Levesque patted him on the shoulder again.

"Good… give me two minutes with the guy and he won't be on your back ever again."

After Paul closed the door behind him, Randy sat back on the couch, deep in thought.  He hoped Paul could get him out of this one.  As the weeks passed and he met more and more women, it was becoming harder and harder to hide them all.  It wasn't that he didn't like being with Trish, she just wasn't trying very hard to keep him satisfied.  Besides, he liked having women flock to him and hang all over him… it made him feel like a god.  After all, that was what Paul said Evolution was.  A group of gods, lead by the be all, end all himself, Paul Levesque.  Sighing, Randy knew he was going to have to make a decision soon.  He would have to decide between two very appealing things… Trish Stratus, and the amazing lifestyle of Evolution.  Even though Randy really cared about Trish, he had a pretty good idea of where he was going to end up.

ABOUT TEN MINUTES LATER 

Paul walked down the halls in search of the blonde Canadians' locker room.  When he got a stage hand to tell him what room they were using, he walked over to the door and pushed it open, not bothering to knock.  He grinned as he saw Adam, who currently had his back turned.  _Good,_ the Game thought silently.  He liked it better when the person he was talking to didn't have any friends around to back him up.  Clearing his throat loudly, he got the attention of the blonde man, causing him to turn around and stand up.

"What do you want?" Adam asked in an un-amused tone.  Crossing his arms over his bare chest, he eyed the larger man suspiciously.  Paul was never up to anything good.

"I need to have a talk with you Copeland," he said pointedly.  Adam raised a brow, crossing his arms as well.

"Oh yeah?  What about?" he asked.

"Just the little chat you had with my buddy Randy a couple days ago," he said, sizing the other man up.  Adam rolled his eyes.  He should have known dealing with Randy meant he'd be dealing with his pals as well.

"Oh?  You coming to fight his battles for him?" Adam asked, narrowing his eyes.  Paul shook his head, putting his hands up in protest.

"I'm not here for a battle Adam… I just want to explain what it was you saw at the club," he said.

"I know what I saw Paul.  What I saw was Randy with his hands all over some random slut," Adam said angrily.  He knew it was going to be hard for him not to hit Paul.

"You make it sound so dirty Adam… it was just an innocent dance," he explained.  "Besides, you have to understand that Randy is different then most men.  He has different needs… he's the kind of guy who requires constant attention, and if his girlfriend isn't around to give him that attention, well… he'll get it from someone else."

"You make it sound like Trish is neglecting him.  HE'S the one who ditches her every night for you and your damn rubber friend.  You know, one day she's going to see what he's doing and she's going to leave him, just like one day Stephanie will get the confidence to leave you," he stated plainly, pointing a finger at him.  Paul rolled his eyes.

"Stephanie isn't going anywhere, just like Trish isn't going anywhere.  See, I know you have a thing for that Stratus bitch, but she _loves_ Randy, and she wouldn't leave him for anything.  Go ahead and tell her, you know she won't believe you."  Adam looked down at the floor for a moment.  Paul was right… even if he did tell Trish, there was no guarantee that she would believe him.  He didn't want to risk losing their friendship, especially if it was all he had.  Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to Levesque.  "So I'm sorry Adam, but you'll have to keep your pants on till you find yourself a new chick," Paul replied, glaring at the Canadian.  He watched Adam's eyes narrow angrily at him.

"Get the fuck out Paul… go hang out with your cool Evolution friends or something," Adam spat, gesturing to the door.  Laughing loudly, Paul complied with his demand and walked over to the door.  Then, when he reached the door, he turned back to face the Canadian, this time his expression dead serious.

"I'm telling you this for your own good Copeland… don't mess with us."

Sorry I took so long to update this again, I got stuck.  LOL, I think I'm back on track  now though, so let me know what you think!  Thanks!  *Britney


	5. Part 5

PART FIVE 

A FEW MINUTES LATER 

Adam sat in the locker room, which was still empty, thinking about the talk he just had with Paul Levesque… if you could even call it a talk.  Even if it wasn't much of a civilized conversation, it did make him think about the whole Trish and Randy situation.  He knew he should have just went to Trish with what he saw, but he didn't want to be a snitch.  Paul was right about one thing… Trish really did love Randy, and it was going to be difficult to make her realize that he wasn't all he seemed.  Sighing, he ran a hand through his long blonde hair, trying to think of what he was going to do about all this.  He almost wished he'd never seen Randy at the club with that girl that night a few weeks back.  _Ignorance is bliss.  Man, what the hell am I getting myself into?_  He remembered what Levesque had said to him as he left the locker room earlier.  _"I'm telling you this for your own good Copeland… don't mess with us._  Was that a threat?  Shaking his head, he just wished that this whole mess would be over with soon.  He sighed again, burying his head in his hands.

"I'm telling you man, that Fifty Cent is one hot rapper," a laughing voice called as the door opened.  Adam looked up to see Chris and Jay walk into the room, both men laughing.

"If you say so," Jay said, shaking his head at Chris's comment.

"I wasn't aware that you were a rap fan Chris.  When did this transformation occur?" Adam asked, almost dryly.  Chris raised an eyebrow at his friend's sarcastic tone.

"Since Trish was playing his CD in the women's locker room and made me listen to it.  To quote her, '50 is the greatest rapper in the world,' so I had no choice but to agree," he explained.  Now it was Adam's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"What the hell were you two doing in the women's locker room?" he questioned, eyeing his two friends curiously.  Sitting down on a chair across from Adam, Jay answered.

"Well, Chris *swears* he just wanted to talk to Amy about something, but for some reason even though Amy wasn't there we ended up staying for about twenty minutes," he said, breaking into a smile.  When he noticed that Adam wasn't smiling or laughing, his face grew concerned.

"What's wrong with you?" Jay asked.

Shrugging, Adam answered, "Well, I just had a wonderful conversation with Paul Levesque."  Chris scowled at the mention of Levesque's name.  Poor Stephanie, having to be stuck with that man as a fiancé.

"Oh goody.  What did he want?  To talk about his World Title and how wonderful it is and how he's the be all, end all?" he asked.

"Not exactly," Adam said.  "More like to threaten me."  When the two blonde men sent him a confused look, he elaborated.  "Randy told him about when I went to his room the other day to talk to him about seeing him with that girl.  He took it upon himself to come here and fight Randy's battle for him, and told me that if I knew what was good for me, I wouldn't mess with them."

"Bullshit," Chris shot.  "We could so take Evolution.  I mean, Levesque can't fight without hurting something, Flair is ancient… the only person who might actually be able to take the three of us is Randy, but he doesn't want to fight us."  Adam shook his head.

"I don't want to start a fight Chris.  The only reason this bugs is because Trish is never going to know about the way he plays her," he explained.  Chris's face broke into a small grin.

"Dude, when are you just going to suck it up and tell her you like her already?" he asked, causing Jay's head to pop up.  He was curious as to know when his best friend would finally tell Trish as well.

"I… well, she's with Randy still.  What do I do, go up to her and say, 'I know you've been with Randy Orton for a long time now, but how about you just ditch him and start getting with me?'  I don't think it works that way," he responded.

"You have to admit Adam, Trish isn't going to get anywhere with Randy if he keeps ditching her for brunettes in seedy clubs," Jay commented.  Adam nodded in agreement.

"I know that… but until then, she's taken.  I can't just take a girl from someone, it's not my style," he explained.  Chris shook his head in disbelief.

"You know what your problem is Adam?  You're too classy… if it was me, I'd have snatched her up already," he said, laughing playfully.  Adam finally broke out into a smile.

"Bullshit.  This is coming from the guy who is madly in love with Stephanie McMahon, and yet she's _still_ with Paul Levesque," he said, smirking at the shorter man.  Flipping him off, Chris scoffed at him.

"That's not important right now," he said, though he knew Adam was right.

STEPHANIE MCMAHON'S OFFICE 

"Stephanie?" Trish asked as she pushed open the door to the brunette's office, knocking as she did so.  Stephanie looked up, smiling as she saw the blonde diva walking into her room.

"Hi Trish, have a seat," she instructed, pointing to a chair in front of her large oak desk.

"Okay," she said, taking a seat.  "So, what did you want to see me for?"  Eyeing the Canadian diva, Stephanie's smile faded and her expression grew serious.

"I uh, I wanted to talk to you about… well, about Randy," she said, watching Trish for any signs of an expression.  Trish sent her a confused look.

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Stephanie started, "I know that your relationship with him has suffered ever since, well… since Evolution came back.  I just wanted you to know that this wasn't my idea… it was my dad's."

"Oh, Steph, I never blamed you for it.  I knew if anything you would have fought the idea.  I know it doesn't do much for your relationship with Paul," she said.  _Not that what you and Paul have is really a relationship._  Trish shook her head, biting her tongue.

"Yeah, well, you know how my relationship with Paul is… it isn't one," Stephanie agreed.  She knew what she had with Paul would never be a _real_ relationship.  It was one of convenience.  Her father demanded that she get married and she loved her father, and Paul loved his World Title, so it just seemed to make sense.

"I didn't mean that…"

"Trish, it's okay.  I'm well aware of the fact that Paul is using me.  But my dad, he's just stubborn… he'd practically disown me if I didn't marry Paul," she said sadly.  Trish frowned at the brunette's sad gaze.

"Steph, I'm sorry.  Maybe you should leave Paul… I mean, screw what your father wants.  I know his opinion means a lot to you, but Steph, marriage is something that is supposed to last forever.  I know you don't want to be stuck in a loveless relationship for the rest of your life.  You're way too good for that," the blonde diva said, eyeing Stephanie with slight concern.  Even though they weren't particularly close, Trish still considered the brunette to be a good friend, and she didn't want to see her hurting.

"I… I don't know Trish.  I guess we'll just have to wait and see.  Maybe," she replied, stopping when her phone began to ring.  Looking down at the screen, she realized who it was.  "I'm sorry, I have to take this.  I'm going to have to go, but I'll talk to you a little later."  Trish nodded, saying goodbye to her friend as she stood and exited the room.

Once she was outside Stephanie's office, Trish pulled the door shut behind her.  She leaned up against the wall beside the door, sighing as she ran her fingers through her blonde hair.  The conversation she'd just had with the brunette was beginning to worry her.  She *was* worried for her friend, but that wasn't what really scared her.  What scared her what that she was beginning to see a little of herself in Stephanie.  Her relationship with Randy was slowly but surely mimicking Stephanie's relationship with Paul Levesque.  She closed her brown eyes, thinking about what she would do if their situation came down to that.  Trish knew she wouldn't be able to handle being in a relationship with someone who didn't love her and spent all his nights on the town with random girls.  While Stephanie may have been able to bury herself in her work, Trish knew she wouldn't be able to do that.  She was a very sensitive woman, one who needed a lot of love and affection to get by.  As beautiful as she knew she was, she still had a lot of insecurities, and it really boosted her spirits to have someone compliment her and mean it.  She sighed again, knowing that sooner or later she was going to have to approach Randy about this.  She would have to give him an ultimatum… her, or Evolution.  The funny feeling she was getting in her stomach made her think that his decision wasn't going to be in her favor.

**LOL, sorry again for taking long to update.  I've been really busy… but anyway, here's the next part.  I'm glad you guys like this so far.  Review please!!!!  *Britney**


	6. Part 6

PART SIX 

A WEEK LATER 

Trish walked into a club with Dawn Marie and Amy.  It had been awhile since she went out with everyone, so when they had asked her to come she figured what the hell.  She smiled as they entered the noisy club, waving to a fan who had called out her name.  They approached the table the guys were at, and Trish's grin widened when he saw Adam smiling at her.  She waved to him, hugging him as she walked up to him.

"Hey, I didn't expect to see you here," he said, letting go of her.

"Well, I wasn't going to come, but I figured that I hardly ever come out with you guys, so I decided to come after all," she replied, grinning at him.

Adam smiled, and then something behind Trish caught his gaze.  He squinted a bit, trying to make out what, or rather who, he was looking at.  His eyes widened slightly as he realized it was Paul Levesque and Randy Orton… and Paul had just brought a very nice looking blonde woman up to Randy and introduced them.  As Trish continued to tell him something about her day, his mind drifted to the two people standing up against the wall.  The woman, who was about 5'7", was leaning up against the wall, and Randy had placed his right hand on the wall next to her head, his left hand resting on her arm as he spoke to her.  He scowled at the two… Randy probably didn't even know that Trish was in the building.  He wanted to tell her to turn around right then so she could see what he was up to, but a part of him knew that it would really hurt her, and he just didn't want to see her hurt.

"Adam… hello, Adam?  Are you still with me?" Trish asked, waving a hand in front of his face.  She shook her head, laughing as she watched him snap out of his daze.

"Uh, yeah… sorry about that," he apologized, smiling sheepishly.

"It's alright, I just thought I'd lost you there for a minute.  Anyway, Dawn was telling me…"  Trish trailed off again, looking at Adam with concern as she could see that he was drifting again.  She reached her arm up and smacked him gently in the face, bringing his attention to her once again.

"Geez Adam, if I'm really boring you that much I'll just stop talking," she said, rolling her eyes playfully.  Shaking his head, Adam apologized again.

"No, I'm really sorry Trish, I just… go ahead," he said, sneaking another glance over the top of her head at Randy and the woman.   Trish raised an eyebrow at him, finally figuring out why he wasn't paying attention to her… he was looking at something.

"What are you looking at?" she asked, moving to turn around in the direction he was facing.  Not taking his eyes off Randy, he jumped slightly as he noticed that he was now kissing the blonde woman he was with.  It was just a friendly little peck either… Orton's tongue was wedged in the tall woman's throat.  Thinking quickly, he grabbed Trish by the arm, spinning her back to him before she could turn all the way around.

"Nothing, it's… it's not important.  Come on, I'll buy you a drink," he said quickly, putting his hand on her shoulder and leading her to the bar.  

Trish nodded, not bothering to ask him why he pulled her away from that spot so quickly.  As the two made their way up to the bar, Adam shot one more glance in Randy's direction.  He was still making out with that girl, his hands sliding down her waist and resting on her hips.  He rolled his eyes in disgust as he watched the woman's hand move down to his ass, gripping it tightly.  What Adam found even more repulsing was the fact that Levesque and Flair were not only watching from their table, which was also surrounded by women, but they were cheering him on.  _What creeps._  Adam turned around when they stepped up to the bar, ordering drinks for both him and the blonde diva.  They stood for a moment, sipping their drinks in silence.  He made sure Trish kept her back to Randy at all times.  After about five minutes, he noticed that Randy and the woman were making their way into the women's bathroom.  Adam shifted uncomfortably, feeling his blood beginning to boil.  He wanted to tell Trish now more than ever.  God knows what the two of them would be doing in there.  _And I'd bet my entire life savings that they didn't go in there to go to the bathroom._  He couldn't believe how unbelievably fair this was, for him and for Trish.  He had to tell her.

"Trish, I…" he started, pausing after the first two words.  He couldn't do it.  How do you tell one of your best friends that they're being cheated on?  And it wasn't like it happened three weeks ago, it was happening right now.  He looked down at her, meeting her chocolate brown eyes.  She actually looked happy for once… he didn't want to ruin that.  He couldn't upset her like that.

"What is it Adam?"

Turning his head to the side for a beat, he frowned, realizing he just couldn't tell her about Randy.  They would be leaving the club soon anyway, as Matt and Jay had decided that they wanted to go club hopping tonight.  He just hoped they would be leaving soon, so Trish wouldn't have to witness what he'd already seen.  Turning to face her, he forced a smile.

"I uh… let's go out there and dance with everyone."

LATER THAT NIGHT 

Chris yawned as he walked tiredly through the hotel hallway.  He was unbelievably tired after their long night out, but he was also unbelievably hungry.  After tossing and turning for about an hour in bed, he decided he may as well walk down to the hotel cafeteria and get something to eat.  He rubbed his temple lightly as he walked down the steps… he could already feel the beginnings of a hangover.  Shaking his head, he sighed as he made his way into the cafeteria.  He went up to the counter and got himself a small snack, paying and then preparing to go back up to his room.  The Canadian wasn't going to even bother sitting down at a table, but then he saw someone who caught his eye.  Stephanie McMahon, sitting in a booth all by herself… and she didn't look too happy.  Chris raised an eyebrow curiously, making his way over to her.

"Hey… mind if I join you?" he asked, watching as she snapped out of her daze and looked up at him.  Shaking her head, she gestured to the seat he was standing behind.

"Not at all, please… sit," she instructed.  He listened, sliding into the booth and sitting down across from her.

"So, what are you doing here?" she asked curiously, looking down at the food and the cup of coffee he had in his hand.

"Can't sleep… I was starving.  And I have the feeling I'm going to be having a severe hangover, so I'm putting off sleep as long as possible.  Nothing's worse than waking up," he explained.  Then, wondering why she was down in the cafeteria at three in the morning, he questioned her.  "What are _you _doing here Miss Stephanie?"

"Oh, I couldn't sleep either… I just came down here to think," she said, smiling at him.  Chris couldn't help but think that the smile she sent him was a sad one.  Concern flooding his crystal blue eyes, he gently placed his hand on her forearm.

"Is something wrong?" he asked worriedly.  Looking up and meeting his eyes, her smile faded.

"Well, actually… you know, I don't want to bother you with a sob story Chris.  I mean, you said you're getting a hangover, and you know, I'll be okay," she answered.  Deep down, she would have loved to tell Chris what was on her mind.  Ever since she had accepted Paul's engagement he had been the only one who really talked to her, and actually *listened* to what she had to say.  Not many people wanted much to do with her because of her fiancé.  Still, she didn't want to burden him, so she figured she could just get over this issue on her own.

"Bullshit Steph, you know you're not bothering me.  Come on, my options are either to go up to my room and sulk around because I have a headache or I can sit here and talk to you.  If you ask me, sitting here with you sounds a little more intriguing," he said, willing her to talk to him.  Stephanie hesitated, but shook her head.

"N-no, Chris… it's fine.  I'm fine, I just…"

"Steph…" he insisted, eyes locking on her.  Sighing, the brunette gave in.

"Okay, okay… it's… it's kind of about Paul," she said carefully, watching as he scoffed at the mention of Levesque's name.  Stephanie knew Chris absolutely hated Paul, so she wasn't surprised in the least by his reaction.

"What did he do now?" he asked, scowling angrily.

"He, um… didn't really do anything.  It was kind of… kind of something that he said," Stephanie answered.  Chris sent her a confused look.

"What do you mean?  What did he say?" he asked.  Her gaze drifted from his, settling on the table they were sitting at.

"Well, he… he kinda told me that… that he didn't love me," she explained sadly, looking back up at him.  His expression dropped as he saw what he swore to be tears forming in her brown eyes.

"What?  Why would he say that?" he asked, though he wasn't all that surprised.  _The guy runs around with women in every damn city we travel to… of course he doesn't love you.  He doesn't even realize what he's got._

"Well, when he got home from the bar tonight, we had a fight, and I told him I loved him… I should have never done that," she scolded.  Chris sent her a funny look.  Then, he listened closely as she retold what happened when Paul arrived from the club.

"Look Paul, all I'm saying is if you think I'm going to marry you then you better start showing me some damn affection!" Stephanie cried.  Paul rolled his eyes at her, sticking his hands in the pockets of his slacks.

_"You'll marry me either way and you know it," he said cockily.  "Listen Steph, I thought we established the way our relationship was going to work already.  I keep my title, you impress your father.  That's pretty much the extent of it."_

_"How can you say that?" she asked, obviously hurt.  "You mean to tell me that you're going to marry me just to keep your title?  You really have no feelings for me whatsoever?"  Shaking his head, Paul walked over to Stephanie, placing his hands on her shoulder._

_"That's not true… I do have feelings for you.  I didn't mean that that was ALL our relationship meant to me… it came out wrong.  I like sharing a house with you, I like hanging out with you, and I *really* like having sex with you," he listed plainly, hoping his answers would satisfy her enough to get her to shut up._

_"That's sweet Paul," Stephanie said sarcastically.  Paul groaned with annoyance._

_"Damn it Steph, what do you want from me?  I'm tired okay?  I want to go to bed, and quite frankly I don't need you bitching at me the second I walk in the damn door!" he yelled, letting go of her._

_"Paul, I'm sorry.  Look, I just wanted to know how you feel.  I love you, okay?  I'm going to marry you and…"_

_"What did you say?" he asked._

_"I… what do you mean?" she asked, confused.  Paul sighed, running his hand through his hair._

_"Look, Steph, I… I don't love you.  I like you… but I can't see myself ever loving you," he stated plainly._

"How the hell could he say that?" Chris asked when Stephanie finished.

"I don't know… I guess he just doesn't love me," she said, a tear dropping down her cheek.

"Steph… why?  Why do you put up with this?" he asked, feeling incredibly sorry for her at the moment.  The poor girl got so much less than she deserved.

"You know my father Chris… I have no choice," she said, her voice beginning to shake.  "And I… I hate it," she said, bursting into sobs.  Jumping up, the Canadian slid out of his booth and into hers, wrapping his arm around her tightly.  She leaned into his embrace as he ran his hand up and down her back.

"Hey, don't cry… he's not worth your tears Steph… neither is your father.  I promise, I'll get you out of this mess," he said soothingly.

As he held Stephanie against him, Chris began plotting ways to take out Paul Levesque.  His hatred for him managed to grow by the day.  Sighing as Stephanie's shoulders shook with her sobs, he continued to whisper softly to her, hoping to calm her down.  He hoped she would let him help her.  He wanted to show her that she was better than Paul, better than her father… that she deserved to be with someone who cared about her.  Somebody who wouldn't use her for backstage power, somebody who would buy her gifts and take her out to dinner, someone who would spend quality time with her and get her mind off of her work once in awhile.  Someone like him.

**Okay, next chapter!  Glad you guys are liking this story.  LOL, okay, now I feel kinda stupid about this, but if anybody has a challenge they would want me to write, I'd really like to give it a try.  If you're interested, send me an email or leave it on my site in the Challenges section (both addresses are on my profile page).  I'm a pretty flexible author, and I can write short or long (waaay long, LOL) fics, so I'd really like to see what you want.  If not, ignore this message, LOL.  Either way, let me know what you thought of this chapter!**


	7. Part 7

PART SEVEN

TWO DAYS LATER

Chris and Adam sat in the locker room, both men reading a book in complete silence.  That is, until the door flew open and two angry looking men entered the room.  The two Canadians put their books down, looking up to meet two pairs of brown eyes.  Paul Levesque and Randy Orton stood in the room, both men crossing their arms over their chests as they glared at the other men angrily.

"Can we help you?" Chris asked in a very un-amused tone.

"Yeah, you can," Paul replied.  "You can start by staying the fuck away from our girlfriends."  Adam rolled his eyes… he just knew that this was going to come sooner or later.

"Last I checked, your girlfriends happened to be our friends… I don't plan on cutting off a friendship just because we don't see eye to eye," Adam said, looking up and locking eyes with the Game.

"Well I suggest you do start cutting off the friendship, or else *I'm* going to start cutting off…"

"Oh shut the hell up Paul," Chris injected bitterly.  "You're all talk and you know it.  God forbid you try and hurt one of us… you might tear a quad or something."  Adam snickered at his friend's comment.  Paul didn't find it so funny.

"Listen up pal, I'm warning you now.  You need to stay away from Trish," he said, pointing at Adam.  Then, he turned, his gaze locking on Chris.  "And _you_, you need to stay far away from Stephanie.  It was cute at first, you being all cute and friendly with her, but it's GOING to stop."

"Okay assclown, how about *you* listen up for once?" Chris replied angrily, standing up and getting in Levesque's face.  "Maybe you ought to take a page out of my book and try actually being _nice_ to your fiancé.  Did you ever stop to consider that maybe Stephanie likes hanging around me because I treat her like a human being?"  Paul narrowed his eyes at the shorter man, shaking his head with annoyance.

"Are you saying I don't treat her right?" 

"Yeah, that's EXACTLY what I'm saying.  And if you're smart, you'll start treating her right before someone who WILL treat her right comes along and takes her away from you," Chris shot back.  Paul snorted cockily.

"Yeah, right… keep dreaming Jerky.  Steph's not going to leave him… her daddy would never accept that," Randy said suddenly, smirking.  Paul grinned… that sounded exactly like something he would say.  He was training the kid well.

"How nice of you to join the conversation Randy," Adam said dryly, eyeing Orton angrily.  Every time he saw Randy he thought back to when he saw him with that girl in the club, sneaking off to the bathroom.

"Do I sense hostility in your voice Adam?" Randy asked, raising an eyebrow.  "You know, I never really understood why you didn't like me… I mean, aside from being with Trish, who you are apparently madly in love with, I've never done to you."  Adam rolled his eyes.

"Listen Randy, I've seen you on more than one occasion being unusually close to women that are not Trish.  Regardless of what I feel for Trish, or how close we are, you're cheating on her… I have no respect for trash like you," he stated plainly.

"Oh, so now I'm trash?  For what? For liking to have a good time?" Randy shot back, moving his hands to his hips.

"Trust me kid, there's a difference between having a good time and what you were doing so yeah, I'd say you're pretty much trash," Adam replied, glaring up at him.  Upon hearing his words, Randy lunged at Adam, only to be caught by Levesque, who yanked him away.  As he was pulling him out the door, Paul turned back to Adam and Chris, sending them a warning glance.

"Next time I'm letting him go… and I hope he beats the shit out of you," he said gruffly, before turning and pulling Orton out the door.

"_Next time I'm letting him go,_" Chris said mockingly once the door was shut.  Shaking his head, he looked over at Adam, who looked like he was about to kill somebody.

"Good, I hope he does.  I can't stand them… they think just because we're laid back we won't fight.  And I swear to God, if Paul thinks just because he's in Vince's pocket I won't hit him, he's got another thing…"

"Adam, chill… you know those guys won't do anything.  But if it ever does come down to that, it would be a piece of cake taking them out.   Randy might be a little trouble, but we can get him.  Flair wouldn't think twice about picking a fight with us without Trips around and if Trips _is_ around, all we have to do his hit him in the quad and you know he'll cry like a little girl," Chris said, hoping to lighten up Adam's mood a bit.  It seemed to work, as the tall man cracked a smile.

"Now _that_ is something that I would love to see."

LATER THAT NIGHT 

Trish yawned tiredly, shutting the TV off in the den of her hotel room.  She stretched as she stood, running her fingers through her blonde hair.  She flipped the light switch, exiting the dark room and going into the bedroom.  Tonight was one of the first nights in as long as she could remember where Randy didn't go out with Paul and Ric.  He hadn't given her any reason as to why, just that he didn't feel like going out.  Trish was suspicious, but she wasn't going to argue if it meant she had a chance to spend the night with Randy.  She pushed the bedroom door open, pulling her shirt off as she did so.  She raised an eyebrow when she saw Randy buttoning his jeans and pulling a shirt on.

Placing her hands on her hips, she questioned him, "What's going on?"  He looked up at her, doing a double take when he saw her standing there in her bra.  

"I-I just got a phone call from… from my dad.  My mom's in the hospital, she passed out or something.  I'm sorry babe, but I have to go home and see her," he explained, throwing his sweatpants he had taken off into his bag.

"What?  Is she okay?" Trish asked, concern flooding her features.

"Yeah, she should be fine… I just want to go and see her that's all.  I'm sorry babe, but I'll call you this weekend, and then I'll see you Monday morning," he said apologetically.

"Well, do you want me to come with you?  I don't want you driving and all if you're upset," she suggested.  Shaking his head swiftly, Randy moved over to her and placed his hands on her hips.

"No, that's okay, thanks hon.  I just… I have to go, okay?" he said.  When she nodded, he leaned down and kissed her on the forehead, slowly making his way out of the room.  Trish watched him walk out of the room, a feeling of slight anger coming over her momentarily.  This was going to be her night to spend time with him, and now all of a sudden he had to leave again.  Soon after, she felt guilty.  It wasn't his fault his mother was ill… he was only doing what a good son would do by going to see her.  _Stop being so selfish Trish… you have your whole life to spend time with him._

Outside the room, Randy quietly pulled the door shut quietly.  He threw his bag over his shoulder, quietly making his way down the hallway.  He walked up to the elevator, pressing the down button.  When the door opened, Jay Reso and Chris Irvine stepped off.  Chris glared at him, and Randy guessed it had something to do with their conversation earlier in the day.

"Hey Randy," Jay said quietly.  Even though he had seen Randy dancing with that girl over a month ago, he wasn't one to pass judgment.  In his eyes, Randy was still okay, so he figured he should be nice to the kid.  Chris nudged him in the ribs, as if he were scolding him for greeting the young man.  Randy simply nodded as he walked by the two men, allowing the elevator doors to close on him.  He rode the elevator down to the lobby, rubbing his eyes tiredly as it stopped.  When the doors opened, he stepped out, his eyes searching around the lobby.  He stopped when he met a pair of brown eyes.  He locked eyes with the young woman, making his way over to her.  He grinned as he eyed the tiny little woman.  It was only her second week in WWE… not only that, with the help of Paul, she had been convinced that the reason her recent Women's Title Victory was because of him.  Needless to say, she felt that she owed him a big favor, and Randy was ready to collect.  He sent the young woman an arrogant smirk, feeling proud as he saw her grin and wave back.  He walked up to her, linking arms with her as he led her out of the hotel.

"Come on Gail, let's get out of here."

**Wow, I didn't think people would like this story so much!  I really love the response I'm getting from you guys.  Just a little note, I'm going away this weekend so I won't be able to update until around Wednesday, but that's not too far away… LOL, just thought I'd let you know.  Thanks for all the reviews so far, keep em coming!!!**


	8. Part 8

A/N: Just realized I never said this at the beginning.  In this story there's no brand extension and Edge isn't out with an injury.  Okay, better late than never!

PART EIGHT

****

THE NEXT MORNING

Randy walked into the cafeteria of the hotel he was in, in search of food.  He hadn't wanted to even leave the room, but he was starved.  His night with Gail was interesting to say the least, and needless to say, he hadn't gotten much sleep.  He searched around the place, trying to find something that was at least halfway decent to fill his appetite.  He found a display of some kind of granola bars, so Randy snatched up two of those and made his way to the counter.  He paid for the bars, and then turned and headed back up to the room he was in.  He trained his eyes on the floor, trying not to draw too much attention to himself.  He thought the coast was clear when he made it out of the cafeteria, but then he smacked into someone.  Looking up, he met the brown eyes of Stacy Keibler.

"Oh, hey Randy!" she said cheerily.

"Uh, hi Stace," Randy mumbled.  He knew he never should have listened to Paul when he told him he and Gail should just stay in the same hotel.  Paul had always been more daring then him, but that was because Paul didn't give a damn about anyone but himself.  One time, he even brought a girl into the hotel room right next to Stephanie's, just to prove that he could fuck someone without getting caught.  Stacy was about to ask Randy how she was doing, when she recalled the phone call she had gotten from Trish the previous night.

"Hey, Randy… how is your mom?" she asked suddenly.  The way Trish was talking last night it sounded as though it was pretty serious.  Randy sent her a funny look.

"My mom?" he asked, confused.

"Yeah," Stacy said, nodding.  "Trish called me and told me you had to leave to go see your mom, that she was sick or something.  I hope she's okay."  The tall blonde placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.  Then Randy remembered what he had told Trish the night before.

"Oh… oh yeah, my mom!  Yeah, she's fine.  I flew back this morning… it wasn't that far, only an hour.  I didn't want to miss the show tonight, and she's okay after all.  Thanks though Stace," he said, nodding.

"Your welcome.  I'll talk to you soon Randy," she said, smiling as she walked past him, waving goodbye. 

Randy waved back, sighing with relief when the leggy blonde disappeared behind the door.  He was certainly glad that that had ended smoothly.  He walked up the steps, and headed down the hall, in the direction of Gail's room.  He figured that he just wouldn't leave the room anymore until all the wrestlers were at the arena.  Even if Stacy told Trish that she saw him earlier, he'd find a way around it.  He always did.  _Yeah,_ Randy thought, matter-of-factly.  _I do always get around it.  I'm that damn good at hiding it._  He smirked arrogantly, proud of what he was doing.  The grin stayed on his face, until he heard a voice calling to him.

"Randy?  What are you doing here?"  The sound of Trish's voice calling to him caused the young man to freeze.  He turned slowly, but the eyes he met weren't of his girlfriend's… they were the intense green eyes that he knew could only belong to Adam Copeland.  Randy shook his head, moving his glance down to the deep brown eyes of his girlfriend.

"Trish!  I… uh… what are _you_ doing?" he asked, turning the tables on her.

"What do you mean what am I doing?" she asked, sending him a confused look.  He had packed his bags and left for his hometown last night… what the hell was he doing back already?

"You heard me," he said, deciding he wasn't going to let her turn against him.  "What are you doing?  Why are you with him?" he asked, pointing a finger at the tall Canadian.

"Well Randy," Adam said, putting a hand up to Trish when she opened her mouth to speak, "I just thought I'd take Trish down for breakfast, considering…"

"Considering I wasn't here and you could make a pass at her?" he asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest suspiciously.

"What?" Trish asked, even more confused than before.  "Adam wouldn't…"

"I'm surprised at you Copeland, I really am.  I mean, all I hear is that you're too classy to go after other men's women.  Paul said you were all talk, but I guess for once, he was wrong."  Adam glared at Randy, feeling the anger bubbling inside of him.

"Please Randy, why on earth would I want to take Trish from you?" he asked, for two reasons really.  One, he really wouldn't make a pass at Trish while she was still with someone and two, Trish had no idea how he felt about her… he wasn't about to risk their friendship for that, at least not while she already had a boyfriend.

"Don't lie Adam, you know you want her," Randy shot back, smirking.  "Everyone knows it too, so quit trying to hide it.  I'm giving you a word of warning now, stay away from my girl."  Adam rolled his eyes emphatically.

"Is that a threat?" Adam challenged, suddenly forgetting that Trish was there.  The two men moved closer and closer to each other, till they were nearly butting heads.  Trish looked at the two in shock… what the hell was going on?

"Guys!" she yelled, forcing her way in between the two of them.  "Both of you, knock it off!  Randy, what are you doing here?"  Randy stepped back a few paces, tearing his glance off of Adam and shifting it over to Trish.

"What, are you surprised to see me?  That usually means your hiding something!  I swear if you're fucking around on me with _him_…"

"Who the hell are you to accuse *anyone* of fucking around?!" Adam yelled suddenly.  Trish turned abruptly to face him, eyeing him seriously.

"What?"

"I bet you didn't even go see your mother last night," Adam said through gritted teeth.  Randy moved towards him, but Trish put her arms up, holding him back.

"Don't bring my mother into this," Randy said angrily.  Adam shook his head, laughing in disbelief.

"I didn't bring her into this… _you_ did.  I told you Randy, one of these days you're going to get caught, and I'm not going to feel one bit sorry for you.  I'm out of here Trish, I'll talk to you later," he replied, shaking his head and walking away.

"Wait… Adam, where are you going?" the diva asked, her eyes following him down the hall.  He simply turned back and looked, saying nothing.  Randy watched him walk away as well, feeling that smirk coming to his face again.  He had maneuvered himself out of another ditch.

"Is it true?"

Randy's head snapped to the left, where Trish was standing.  She placed her hands on her hips, eyeing him suspiciously.

"No.  Trish, look, he hates me… he wants to see you and I break up.  I can't help it if your friends don't tell the truth," he replied, shrugging.

"How can you say that?  Adam is the most honest person in the world… I know he wouldn't make something up.  He wouldn't say anything unless he had a reason," Trish said.

"Yeah well, maybe you don't know Adam as well as you think," Randy retorted, looking away from her.  Trish looked down at the floor, a feeling she couldn't really describe coming over her.  It was almost a mix of sadness and indifference.  Adam wouldn't lie… he just wouldn't.  But what was that that Randy mentioned about him wanting her?  Even if it was true that Adam had feelings for her, he wouldn't do something low like that to get a chance with her… would he?  Trish was torn… her mind was telling her that Randy would never do a thing like that to her, but her heart left her a little uncertain.  Suddenly, she pushed Randy out of the way, walking by and leaving him to stare at her, confusion crossing his face.

"No Randy, I think it's *you* that I don't know."

LATER THAT NIGHT 

Adam sighed as he walked down the hallway towards the entrance ramp for his match.  Only one more match and then he could go home for a few days.  He definitely needed to get away from the business for a few days, specifically the area of the business concerning Randy Orton.  He scowled as he thought of the young man.  He had lied right to Trish's face and didn't even care.  _It's going to come back and bite him in the ass one day,_ he kept telling himself, but it didn't make him feel any better.  He still in a way felt like he was also lying to Trish for not telling her what he knew.  He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts and mentally prepare for his upcoming match with Eddie Guerrero.  As he walked by some rooms, he heard voices coming from behind one of the doors.  Curiosity getting the better of him, he walked up and did something he rarely ever did… he peeked in the little crack of the door that was left open.  He didn't know who was on the other side or what they were talking about, but for some reason he got the feeling that he wanted to know what was going on.

_"You need to just up and leave that bitch," a woman's voice said.  Adam looked in and saw that it was Gail Kim._

_"I can't just leave Gail," the other voice said, and Adam looked over and saw Randy Orton.._

_"Why the hell not?  You don't NEED her Randy!" Gail said in an annoyed tone._

Outside the door, Adam grimaced… they were talking about Trish.__

_"I know I don't NEED her Gail, but I do kind of like having her around.  She isn't as bad as you think she is," he insisted.  Gail wasn't amused in the least bit._

_"Please, she's a backstabbing bitch… ever since I got here, all she's done is give me cocky looks.  Besides," she said, biting her lower lip and placing her hands seductively on his chest.  "You've got all you need right here."_

_"Gail, you know I'm not looking for a relationship…" Randy started.  It was hard enough having Trish on his case, he didn't want this one to be following him around all the time too._

_"Oh, I know… neither am I.  That's why I'm better for you than that little witch.  I'm not going to ask you to buy me things, or pay attention to me all day… I just want to give you a little pleasure.  And trust me Randy, and satisfaction that I give is at least ten times better than any Stratusfaction that Trish can give you."_

_Randy eyed her appreciatively, twining his fingers into her long hair.  He leaned down and kissed her hungrily, pressing her tightly up against the wall.  She pulled his shirt up over his head, tossing it to the side.  She pushed him violently, slamming him up against the wall roughly.  She leaned up and kissed him again, her hand moving to the crotch of his pants.  Randy let out what was both a laugh and a groan, pulling her wrestling top over her head.  He turned her around, pressing her bare back against the wall._

Adam jumped back and briskly walked away from the door, his green eyes wide.  He shook his head to rid himself of the mental images still flashing through his mind.  He couldn't believe what he had just seen.  Randy Orton and Gail Kim about to have sex… Adam shuddered.  The thought of it disgusted him.  He had suspected since the day the Asian woman arrived that she was trouble.  He sighed loudly, making his way to the ring.  He knew now that he had to tell Trish, no matter how much he didn't want to hurt her.  In the end, she would be better off knowing now, before Randy did anything to hurt her any worse.

**Next chapter!  Thanks for all the reviews guys, keep sending them! *Britney**


	9. Part 9

PART NINE

****

A WEEK LATER

Stephanie McMahon walked down a hallway in the arena, listening to the sound of her heels clicking on the floor as she made her way through.  She was taking a break from her work, so she decided she would take a walk and find Chris.  She had been doing a lot of thinking lately, specifically about her and Paul, and she wanted someone to talk to.  Chris had always been there for her, so she knew it would be safe to go to him.  She finally found the locker room he had told her earlier he'd be using, so she stepped up and knocked on the door.  A few moments later, the door opened, and Jay Reso stepped out.

"Hey Steph," he said, grinning at her.

"Hi Jay… is Chris in there?  I need to talk to him," she requested.  The brunette tried her to peer into the room and see for herself if Chris was in there, but she couldn't really see anything past Jay's shoulder.

"Sure, hang on a second and I'll go get him," he said, turning away from her and closing the door over.  Stephanie stepped back and waited.  On the inside of the locker room, Jay walked up to Chris, who was in the back of the room, and smacked him on the back of the head.

"Chris, your girlfriend wants to see you," he told him, cracking a smile.  Chris looked up at him, sending him a questioning look as he rubbed the back of his head.

"I have a girlfriend?" he asked, confused.

"Yeah," Jay replied, shaking his head.  "She just happens to be engaged."  Suddenly getting that Jay meant it was Stephanie who wanted to see him, he stood.

"Ohhh… Stephanie wants to see me," he said, heading in the direction of the door.  "Okay, thanks Jay."  Jay laughed, shaking his head as he watched his friend walk to the door.

When he opened the door, Chris caught sight of Stephanie and grinned.  "Hey," he said, stepping out and shutting the door behind him.  Stephanie looked up upon hearing his voice.

"Hey Chris," she replied.  "I'm sorry to bother you, I just kind of needed to talk to someone."  Chris shook his head, putting his arm around her shoulder as he walked them a short distance away from the door.  The guys, specifically a certain person named Jay, had a tendency to stand on the other side of the door and listen to the conversations going on on the other side of it.

"You're not bothering me… you know I told you that you could come to me any time you needed to," he reminded her.  Stephanie smiled, looking over at him.

"I know you told me that… but a lot of times people say things they don't really mean," she pointed out.

"Not me," Chris insisted, stopping and leaning up against the wall.  "Now, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Well," Stephanie started, "I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, and I've come to a decision that I realize I have to act upon.  The only thing is, I think I might need your help."

"Okay," Chris said, gesturing for her to continue.  "What is it?"

"I think…"

"You think…" he encouraged.

"I think… I think I want to dump Paul," she said finally.  Chris's eyes widened slightly in surprise.

"You are?  That's great!" he cried, breaking out into a huge grin before he mentally cursed himself back into seriousness.  He didn't want to seem _too_ excited about that.  He had to stay cool, even though he was about ready to do a cartwheel in the middle of the hallway.  "I mean, are you sure about this?"

"Yes," Stephanie nodded.  "Yes, I really am sure.  I have to leave him Chris… I can't be in a relationship, much less _marry _someone who has openly admitted that he doesn't love me.  It's not fair to either of us."

"It's perfectly fair for him," Chris said bitterly.  "He doesn't deserve you, or anyone like you.  I hope one day he finds a woman who treats him like dirt… maybe he'll learn a thing or two."

"I doubt that," Stephanie said quietly.

"But seriously Steph, that's awesome.  I'm really glad you're finally leaving him, but I'm curious… what do I have to do to help you?"

"I'm not sure yet," she said, shaking her head slightly.  "I just kind of need support right now, and I wasn't sure who would give it to me."

"Well, you've definitely got it from me… and Adam, and Jay, and all the girls too.  We're all on your side Steph, don't forget that.  Now, I have to get back in there and get changed for my match, but if you need _anything_, don't hesitate to call me, okay?" he said, placing his hand on her shoulder again.

"Okay… thank you Chris," she replied gratefully, pulling him into a hug.

"You're welcome," Chris said, feeling her arms wrap around his neck.  Forcing himself not enjoy their embrace too much, Chris pushed her off of him gently, waving goodbye as he went back into the locker room.

Stephanie sighed, leaning up against the wall.  Chris was so sweet… having someone like him around would make leaving Paul a little easier… not that it was in any way going to be easy.  She still had some major thinking to do as to how she was going to do it.  No matter what method of dumping Paul she came up with, she knew it had to be done, and it had to be done soon.  It made Stephanie feel a lot better to know that she at least had help.  She smiled softly, pushing herself up off the wall and heading back in the direction of her office.

What she didn't see was that Paul Levesque had been watching the whole time from around the corner.

THE NEXT NIGHT 

Adam was walking down the hallway of the hotel, in search of some kind of vending machine, or some place to buy a drink.  Sometimes he hated traveling with Jay… his best friend could be more than forgetful sometimes.  He had left every single water bottle and soda can they had bought for the week's trip on his kitchen table.  As he passed by the room he knew that Trish was staying in, he thought of popping in to say hello.  Then again, he had seen her only an hour ago at the arena, and he didn't want to seem desperate to see her.  On top of that, he wasn't sure if Randy was there and after he accused the two of them of screwing around last time, he didn't feel like putting up with it.  The Canadian decided against going inside, walking right past the room and continuing down the hall.  He finally found a soda machine, putting the dollar bill in and selecting a can before heading back in the direction of the room he was sharing with Jay.  When he passed Trish's door again, he stopped, walking over to it.  He raised his hand to knock, but when he heard a noise coming from the inside, he hesitated.  Once again going with his gut and not his conscience, Adam leaned forward and pressed his ear on the door.  From the inside, he could hear what sounded like heavy breathing, and after he completely silenced himself so he could listen more intently, he heard moaning.  The blonde man jumped, taking a step back from the door, his jaw dropping.  He stepped away from the room, completely mortified.  He couldn't believe he had just pressed his ear up against the door when Trish and Randy were very obviously engaged in something heavy.  Adam was actually surprised that the two of them would be having sex, especially since Randy was obviously getting it from outside sources.  Come to think of it, the woman inside the room didn't sound like Trish… then again, Adam didn't know how Trish sounded while she was having sex.  _Keep thinking like this and you never will either pervert,_ he told himself.  He turned to walk away, stopping dead in his tracks when he saw a blonde woman walking towards him.

"Hey Adam!" Trish called cheerfully from down the hall.  Adam looked up at her, a knot forming in his stomach as he walked up to her.  He hoped to God that she wasn't going to her room.  Whoever was in there having sex with Randy was obviously not Trish.  As much as he wanted Trish to see that Randy was screwing around on her, he didn't want her to have to find out this way.

"Hey Trish, where are you headed?" he asked in a nervous and uneasy tone.

"Just going to go drop my bags off in my room and then head downstairs to get something to eat… I'm starved," she said, placing her hand on her flat stomach.  Adam jumped as she tried to walk past him, grabbing her by the arm.

"No!  I mean, uh… no, you don't have to drop your bags off do you?  My room is right there, you can just put them there," he said, pointing to the room a few doors down.  Truth was, his room wasn't even on this floor, but he knew that that room was Kurt Angle's and he could get in there if he needed to.

"Why?  My room's only right down the hall," Trish said, raising an eyebrow curiously.

"Yeah, but… you don't need to go all the way down there," he insisted, stepping in front of her and preventing her from going anywhere.

"Adam, what the hell is wrong with you?  I'm going to my room," she said stubbornly, pushing past him and walking briskly to her room.  Adam winced as Trish approached the door, pulling her keycard out of her pocket and swiped in the door.

"Trish, don't!" he called, but it was too late.  Trish pulled the door open, her eyes widening and gasping as she saw what was going on in the room.

"Oh my God…"

**Sorry it took so long to update, but I've been hella busy… here's the next chapter!!! Let me know what you think!!!!**


	10. Part 10

PART TEN

****

A MOMENT LATER

"Randy!" Trish screamed, cupping her hand over her mouth in shock as she watched her boyfriend jump, pushing the blonde woman that was currently on top of him over to the other side of the bed.  

"Trish!  I… I can explain!" Randy cried, his eyes widening in shock.  He hadn't expected her to get to the hotel for hours.  Trish ignored her boyfriend, and she narrowed her eyes in fury as she noticed who the naked woman was.  As she struggled to cover herself with the shirt Randy had thrown to the floor, Trish scowled at her.

"Jackie Gayda," she growled, and Adam, who was still standing about twenty feet away from her, felt his eyes widen.  Jackie Gayda?  _Wow, _Adam thought silently.  _He really *is* a manwhore._  He turned his attention back to Trish as she began screaming at the blonde woman.  "Who the hell do you think you are?!"  Jackie's eyes widened as well… Randy told her she wouldn't show up till after they were done.  The Tough Enough 2 winner knew that Trish Stratus was *not* the woman she needed to start a fight with.

"Look Trish, I know you're probably really mad right now, but I…" she started, but Trish cut her off with a menacing glare.

"Mad?!  You think I'm mad?!  Believe me you bitch, I am *beyond* mad!  What the fuck made you think you could get away with this?" she demanded, placing her hands on her hips angrily.

"I… I didn't think you…" Jackie stammered.  Normally she'd have no problem sleeping with another woman's boyfriend, but that was when she was sure she wouldn't get caught.  Now that she was in the situation, she didn't know what to do.

"You know what?  I don't give a shit… get your clothes on and then get the fuck out of my hotel room," Trish said in a murderous tone.  

Adam's eyes were still wide, still locked on the Canadian diva, in case she decided to do anything she would later regret.  Trish felt herself shaking as she stood and waited for Jackie to pull her underwear and pants on, not even bothering to put her shirt on as she practically ran from the room.  The Canadian diva felt her blood boiling… there was literally not a time in her life that she could recall when she was so incensed.  After Jackie was gone, Trish eyed her boyfriend with disgust.

"How long has this been going on?" she asked, preparing herself for the worst.

"This was the first time Trish, I swear!" Randy insisted, pulling his shorts on and standing up.

"Yeah, the first time with *her*!  Is there anyone else you've fucked in the last three months that I don't know about?" she asked, even though she knew the answer was without a doubt yes.  

She suddenly found herself feeling as though she were about to cry, but she forced the tears back.  There was no way she was going to let Randy see that he brought her to tears.  Adam shook his head sadly.  He couldn't believe he had waited so long to tell Trish about Randy cheating on her.  He should have told her that night at the club, when he saw him sneak into the bathroom with that woman.  This was horrible… Adam never saw Trish so upset before.  He could tell by the look in her eyes that she was about to cry.  As much as he didn't want to see anymore, he felt compelled to stay and watch.  He just couldn't bring himself to leave the scene, not yet.  Trish yelled some more, asking Randy if he ever really loved her.

"Of course I did… I do!" he swore, moving closer to her.  She placed her hand to his chest, pushing him back as he approached her.

"If you loved me you wouldn't need to fuck so many women Randy.  I'd be enough.  I… I don't know what to say to you… you disgust me.  I want you out," she said, her voice much quieter than before.

"But Trish, I…"

"Randy, please.  Haven't you done enough?" she asked, stepping in the room and pulling the door shut behind her.  Adam took a step in the direction of the door, but then he gave up, turning and walking away, hoping that Trish would be okay.  He wanted so badly to go into the room and beat the living hell out of Orton for ever hurting her, but that wouldn't do any good.  He sighed loudly, heading back to his room, not even bothering to get that drink he had come down for.

*                      *                      *                      *                      *

A few hours later, Adam sat on the balcony of his hotel room, staring out into the now starlit sky.  He closed his eyes for a minute, thinking back to what had happened earlier.  He almost laughed as he thought about how dumb he must have sounded, begging Trish to put her bags in his room.  Adam didn't know why he thought that idea would work… he supposed he just desperately didn't want Trish to see Randy was cheating on her.  You'd think Adam would *want* Trish to know about Randy screwing around… she did, after all, have a right to know.  He frowned, remember once again the old phrase, 'Ignorance is bliss.'  It was certainly fitting for this situation.  As he sat back in his chair, deep in thought, Adam didn't hear the person who had snuck up behind him.  She stood in the open doorway, eyeing him silently.  She didn't want to startle him, but she had to see someone, and he was the one person she knew she could go to.

"Adam?" she called out quietly to him, causing him to jump slightly and snap his head around.

When Adam turned, he saw Trish Stratus standing behind him.  She stood in the doorway connecting the balcony to the hotel room, her arms hugging herself protectively.  As his gaze traveled up her, Adam winced, noticing the tears filling her deep brown eyes.  He instantly stood, frowning at the sight of her.  Her eyes were so red and puffy… she had to have been crying for hours.  He sighed, doing the only thing he could think of.  He held his arms out to her, gesturing for her to come to him.  She collapsed into his embrace, sobbing loudly as he wrapped his arms tightly around her.  He ran his hand up and down her back soothingly, whispering softly to her as he mentally added Randy Orton to his hit list.

TWO DAYS LATER 

Jay Reso walked down a hallway in the arena alone, thinking to himself as he headed toward the locker room in search of Adam.  His best friend had been upset all day.  Earlier that morning, Trish had explained to Adam that she was taking a few weeks off, that she couldn't be around Randy or Jackie or Gail or the company for a little while.  She thanked him for staying up with her on both nights when she couldn't sleep, and for being there for her through all of this.  Jay frowned as he thought back to their conversation, as Adam had explained it.

_"But Trish, do you really want to leave because of all this?" Adam asked, hoping she would change her mind._

_"I'm sure.  Look, Adam, I can't stay here.  I just… I just can't be around Randy right now, or Gail and Jackie… you have to understand that," she explained, feeling the tears straining her brown eyes again._

_"I *do* understand Trish," Adam insisted.  "But if you leave now, that means Randy is winning."  Laughing sardonically, Trish shook her head._

_"He already has won."_

Jay sighed, feeling very sorry for both of his friends.  As he continued on down the hall, he saw a sign on a locker room door that caught his attention.  He stopped, eyeing the plate that read 'Evolution' intently.  He could hear voices coming from the inside, so he stepped up to the door, silencing himself as he listened in.

"Ric, I'm fucked," a gruff voice called, one that Jay could tell belonged to Paul Levesque.

"Chill Paul, we'll figure something out.  Besides, she hasn't even broken up with you yet," Ric Flair assured him.

"Yeah, I know, but still… who the fuck does she think she is?  Just because she whored herself out to Jericho, all of a sudden he wants to help end our relationship?"

"Hey man, Jericho is no threat to us.  And so what if you get dumped?  It'll just mean you'll be more free to…"

"If I get dumped my fucking title goes out the window!" Paul screamed, causing the older man to jump slightly.  "NOBODY does this to me Ric.  I'll be damned if I let some blonde pretty boy steal my woman.  And this whole thing with Randy and Trish and Copeland isn't helping.  I'm getting sick of these damn blonde Canadians."  Levesque scowled as he thought of Adam and Chris.

"So… what are you planning on doing about it?" Ric asked, an odd twinkle forming in his eyes.  Paul had a tendency to react the same way towards anyone that pissed him off… violently.  And Ric knew better than anyone else that Paul enjoyed putting people through pain.  Hell, so did he… that was what Evolution was all about.  Making people suffer so that they could stay on top.  Paul smirked, the gleam in his eye matching the one in Flair's as he spoke.

"I think it's time we pay our pretty blonde Canadians a little visit.  And by paying them a visit, I mean giving them a beat down." 

**Hey guys… I'm so glad you like this story so much!!! Keep reviewing, it really makes writing this story more fun!!!  Thanks a lot!  **Britney**


	11. Part 11

PART 11

****

THE NEXT DAY

Randy Orton walked up to the Evolution locker room, hesitating for a minute before pushing the door open and going inside.  Once he was in the door, he looked to the back and saw Paul and Ric sitting on the couch.  Ric was dead silent, and Paul wore a huge scowl on his face.

"Uh, hey guys," Randy said tentatively, eyeing his two partners speculatively.  "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing.  Everything is peachy fucking keen," Paul growled, keeping his eyes locked on the wall.

"Come on, what's up?" Randy insisted, hoping Paul could get whatever was up his ass out of there so he could talk to him about what he came to talk about.

"I heard Stephanie talking to Chris Irvine, telling him she's gonna fucking dump me.  Do you believe that?  She's going to fucking dump me for that pretty boy!  What the hell is that?" he asked, shaking his head in disbelief.  Randy's eyes widened slightly at what Paul was saying… Stephanie was going to dump him?  That was definitely something he never saw coming.

"Woah… man, that sucks," Randy commented.

"You're damn right it sucks!" Paul snapped, jumping up off the couch.  "Who the hell does that bitch think she is anyway?  She can't dump me… I won't allow it!"

"Paul, calm down man… you know she won't have the balls to dump you if Jericho won't help her," Ric piped up, standing up and patting Levesque on the shoulder.  Paul looked over at the Nature Boy, smirking at him arrogantly.

"You're right Ric… she can't dump me on her own.  She'd never be able to do it.  All I really need to be concerned about is getting Jericho out of the way," he said, breaking into a grin.

"Hey guys," Randy said suddenly, knowing he'd never get his story out if he didn't talk soon.

"Jericho will not be a problem," Flair said cockily, completely ignoring Randy.

"Guys…"

"I know that, I just don't want have to deal with him.  He already gets on my fucking nerves without threatening to steal my fiancé.  But if I have to deal with him, so…"

"Guys!  Shut the fuck up and listen to me!" Randy yelled suddenly, tired of listening to the two of them.  Both men looked up, each wearing a look of semi shock on their faces.  It wasn't very often that Randy spoke out like that to them.  He usually kept to himself and did all his talking with the women he picked up.

"Okay, okay, calm down… what's up your ass?" Paul asked, sending him a look.  Randy shook his head.

"I'm fucking sick of you two sitting here all day bitching… that's what's up my ass.  Instead of sitting there bitching and complaining and threatening people behind their backs, how about you two get off your lazy asses and actually *do* some of the shit you talk about!" he screamed, slightly shocked himself by his actions.

"First of all kid, I don't take orders from you," Paul said, narrowing his eyes at Randy, "and second of all, I *do* plan on doing what I said I was going to do, but you don't just jump right into shit like this… it takes planning."  Randy calmed down measurably, putting his hands up in retreat.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry.  I just… I'm a little upset, that's all.  I think Trish and I broke up," he admitted, lowering his head slightly.

"What?  Why?" Ric asked, a look that had a measure of concern crossing his face.

"Because… she kind of walked in on me while I was with Jackie Gayda… she wasn't too happy.  To be honest I've never seen her so pissed in my whole life," Randy said, looking down at the floor.

"Shit… that's not good," Paul said, shaking his head.

"No… it isn't," Randy scoffed.  "And I heard her talking to Adam the other day, and she said she's taking two weeks off.  She said she couldn't handle seeing me."  Randy's eyes narrowed as he thought bitterly of Adam Copeland.  He had been nothing but a nuisance through his and Trish's whole relationship.

"These damn blonde Canadians!  Why the fuck do they insist on getting in our way?" Paul demanded, punching the wall forcefully.  Randy shook his head, simply walking out the door.  Paul and Ric watched after him, both men sending each other looks that said that something had to be done.

OUT IN THE HALL 

Randy walked briskly down the hallway, trying to get as far away from the locker room as possible.  He was already having very violent thoughts about Adam Copeland, and Flair and Levesque would only encourage that.  He knew he was too new in the WWE, even with Paul as a mentor, to be getting in a fight.

"Randy!"  Randy turned and groaned instantly when he saw who was standing behind her.

"Oh great, what can I do for *you* two women?" he asked, looking down at Dawn Marie and Amy, who had been the one who called him.

"Well, for starters, you can explain to me why you were fucking around on one of my best friends," Amy said angrily, looking at him in disgust.

"I don't really think I need to be explaining that to you Amy," Randy said, folding his arms across his chest.

"Unless you want my foot shoved up your ass, I'm thinking that you *do* need to be explaining it Randy," Amy threatened, moving up closer to him, with Dawn only a step behind.  The fiery redhead certainly wasn't afraid to beat the hell out of Randy Orton if it became necessary.

"Look Amy, what goes on between Trish and I is our business.  I know you guys are friends and all, but I don't need you coming to me and fighting her battles for her," he shot back.

"I'm not fighting any battles for her you jerk… I'm only doing what a good friend would do by…"

"By sticking your nose in my business and annoying the hell out of me?  I don't think so," Randy retorted, suddenly feeling a little guilty for being such an ass.  Amy *was* only sticking up for Trish, who was one of her closest friends.  "Listen honey, if you have a point, make it, because you're wasting my time."

"My *point* Randy," Amy said through clenched teeth, "is that you are a piece of scum for what you did to her.  If I didn't think Trish would hate me for it, I'd kick your ass right now."

"Please honey, you couldn't hurt me if you tried.  Don't think I won't hit a woman if she deserves it," he shot back, almost gasping at his words.  _Oh man, I sound just like Paul._  Randy couldn't believe he'd just said that.  He would admit that at times he could be an asshole, but he would never stoop as low as to hit a woman, even if she "deserved it."

"You lay a finger on her and you'll have to deal with me," Dawn spoke suddenly, stepping in front of Amy and poking Randy in the chest with her index finger.  "And trust me, _honey_, I'm *not* the woman you need to be dealing with."

Randy looked at the two women, shaking his head in disbelief.  He certainly wasn't making any friends for what he did to Trish.  He gave up, simply turning and walking away, tossing his hands in the air.  He didn't know what to do anymore.  No matter what he did, it always ended up being wrong.  There were so many people he had to please, and he wasn't sure which side he cared about more.  On one hand, there was Trish… he hadn't meant to hurt her the way he did.  Still, if she didn't like him hanging out with his friends all the time and didn't want him to have a life, then she really brought the whole thing on herself, didn't she?  Randy sighed, thinking about the other side to his life… the Evolution side.  Drinking, partying and women… the lifestyle was amazing.  They really lived just as their t-shirt said… paid, laid, and made.  He didn't want to give all that up just to satisfy his girlfriend… did he?  As he continued on down the hall, he looked back and saw Matt Hardy now standing with his girlfriend and Dawn.  He sighed once more… he had never been so confused in his life.  And as much as he hated to admit it, when he heard Matt speak to the two women, his words… they actually hurt.

"Don't worry about him Ames.  Trish is way too good for him, she'll see that.  He's going to end up just like Levesque.  Cold, bitter, and with absolutely no one to care for him."

**I know I've said this a couple times, but I'm really loving the feedback I'm getting on this story.  You guys are awesome, thanks so much.  Keep reviewing!!  **Britney**


	12. Part 12

PART 12

****

TWO WEEKS LATER

Adam pulled his right shoe on, tucking a few strands of damp hair behind his ear while doing so.  He had gotten to the arena way earlier than he'd expected, so he had been bored out of his mind.  Just for the hell of it, he had done a round of sets of crunches and sit-ups and then jumped in the shower.  Now, he sat back in his chair, closing his eyes and relaxing.  He was actually beginning to doze off, but a knock on the locker room door made his eyes snap open.  He jumped to answer it, remembering that it was still early and he was the only one in the room.  The Canadian headed to the door and pulled it open, grinning as he saw who was there.

"Hey Trish!" he said excitedly, stepping back and allowing the petite diva to step into the room.

"Hey," Trish replied, reaching up and pulling a slightly surprised Adam into a hug.

"So, you're back?" Adam asked, a hopeful tone in his deep voice.  Pushing away from him, Trish glanced up and met his eyes, smiling brightly as she nodded at him.

"I'm back," she answered, letting go of him and walking a few more paces into the room.  Adam followed, taking a seat on the bench that was resting up against the wall.

"So, how was your time off?" Adam questioned, his green orbs eyeing her intently.

"It was great… I really needed to just get away for a while, and it was perfect.  I, uh… this whole thing was just really bugging me," she said, suddenly looking down at the floor.  His eyes still trained on her, Adam frowned.  While she hadn't exactly specified what the "thing" that was bugging her was, it was obvious to him that Trish was referring to her situation with Randy.  Adam sighed quietly… he still felt so sorry… and so guilty… for what Trish had gone through.  If only he had told her the first time around…

"Um, so are you guys… over?" he asked, trying to keep the hopefulness he was feeling from leaking into his tone.

"Uh…  yeah, we are," Trish answered without looking up.  The two Canadians sat in silence for a few moments, Adam's gaze also finding the floor as Trish began to shift back and forth of her feet.  A few moments later, the silence was beginning to grow awkward, so Trish decided that she would be the one to speak.

"Anyway," she said, pushing the thoughts of Randy and how upset she still was out of her mind for the time being.  "I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to hang out later, since it's my first day back and all."  She brought her gaze up to his, and their eyes met again.  Adam's eyes lit up at her suggestion, and he grinned softly at her.

"That sounds good.  Did you want to go somewhere, or…"

"Actually, I was thinking maybe we could just rent a movie and invite some people to just hang out at the hotel.  I… I don't think I'm really in the mood to be in the club scene just yet," she suggested, brushing a stray strand of hair away from her face.

"Alright," Adam agreed, nodding.  "That sounds good too.  I'll talk to Jay and the others when they get here and tell them what's going on.  So, what are you doing now?  If you're not busy, we could go grab something to eat or whatever."  Frowning, Trish shook her head.

"Sorry Adam, but I can't… I have some business to attend to.  I'll see you later though, and we'll definitely hang out tonight," she said, heading to the door.

"Okay, bye Trish," Adam replied, waving to her as she pulled the door shut behind her.  Once she was gone, Adam sat back in his seat, wondering just what 'business' the Canadian diva would be attending to.

ERIC BISCHOFF'S OFFICE 

"Mr. Bischoff?" Trish called, knocking on the door as she pushed it open.  Eric looked up, dropping the papers he was looking through and grinning at the young woman who had entered the room.

"Hi Trish," he said cheerily, pointing to a chair across the room, against the wall of the office.  "Have a seat."  Trish nodded, heading over and sitting down in the seat Eric had pointed out to her, sitting forward and resting her elbows on her knees.  After she was seated, Bischoff folded his hands on the desk and looked over at her.

"So, what can I do for you Ms. Stratus?" he asked, his gaze dropping down and roaming over her.  Suddenly realizing that the way she was sitting gave her boss an acute view down her white t-shirt, Trish sprang up, her eyes widening slightly.  She shuddered, reminding herself that the Raw GM was a creep who take advantage of every opportunity he had to sneak a peek down her shirt.

"Well _Eric_," she replied rather loudly, reverting his attention back to her face.  "I came here to talk to you about signing a match for Raw tonight."

"Oh?" Eric queried, raising an eyebrow.  It was very rare that a wrestler, especially a female one, requested just one match with a specific person, and when they did, it was usually because of personal issues with the opponent.  "What match would that be?" he asked curiously.  He was very anxious to see just who Trish had an issue with.

"Well, I was actually thinking of a tag match.  One that involves myself and Lita taking on Gail Kim and Jackie Gayda," Trish replied.

"And what exactly is your reason for requesting such a match?"

Smirking, Trish responded, "Let's just say that the two of them have done some things recently that have sparked my interest."  Eric thought for a moment, and then suddenly, it hit him.  Rumors had been flying all over the backstage area throughout the duration of Trish's time off as to exactly why she'd requested the time in the first place.  There were a couple different stories, but the main one was that she had caught her boyfriend Randy Orton cheating on her with another diva.  The diva in question *had* to be one of the two she had mentioned.  Bischoff smirked, suddenly feeling very proud of himself for remembering what he had been hearing.  It just might have been enough to get him something he'd wanted for a *long* time.

"Trish, you do realize that I can't grant you a match with someone just because you caught her screwing your boyfriend," he replied arrogantly.  Trish narrowed her eyes at her boss… if he wasn't in a position of power, she would have smacked him right then and there.  "Unless," he continued, "you're willing to do something for me."  Trish felt her stomach turn as she imagined just what 'favor' Bischoff wanted her to do for him.

"What would *that* be?" she asked, rolling her eyes in disinterest.

"How about you give me the same treatment that Gail and Jackie gave to Randy?" he suggested, eyeing her appreciatively.

"Ew!" Trish shrieked, jumping out of her chair and storming out of the room.

Fuck that… she didn't want to fight the two women *that* bad.  Trish shuddered again, shaking all the thoughts of her disgusting boss out of her mind.  As much as she wanted to get her hands on those two little bitches, it wasn't going to happen on Raw.  Trish supposed she could always just fight them backstage, but she would get in a lot less trouble… and have a lot more fun embarrassing them… if it happened in a match on television.  She supposed it would just have to wait.  _Besides,_ she thought, suddenly finding herself smiling again.  _Eric isn't the boss of Smackdown._

LATER THAT DAY 

Paul Levesque sat alone in Evolution's locker room, rubbing his temples gently.  His was killing him.  All he had been doing for the past 48 hours was think of how Stephanie McMahon was going to break up with him.  He didn't know what in hell he was going to do.  Without his engagement to her, there was no way he would be able to keep the control he'd been given.  He *needed* that control to keep the title, to keep his life.  That World Heavyweight Championship meant more to him than his own mother… he wasn't going to part with it without putting up a fight.  Then, as if she had read his mind, the door to the locker room creaked open, and Paul looked up to see Stephanie standing in the doorway.

"Hi Paul," she said, stepping in and closing the door.

"Hey," he replied nervously, preparing himself for the moment he'd so been dreading since he'd heard her talking to Chris about it.

"We need to talk," she said, sitting down on the arm of one of the leather sofas.  Just as she sat down, Paul jumped up.  He had been telling himself all along that he would remain calm in the situation and sweet talk his way out of this, but that plan went out the window.  Instead of doing as he'd planned, Paul flipped.

"No way Stephanie, you are *not* going to dump me… I won't have it!" he exclaimed suddenly, and her eyes widened.

"How did you know I was…"

"I heard you and Jericho talking," he answered matter-of-factly, before she could even ask the question.

"Don't you dare break up with Steph, or I'll make you regret it!  I don't want to have to do that, but I will," he threatened.  _Don't let him get to you,_ Stephanie told herself. _Just like Chris said, stay calm, dump him, and get the hell out._

"No Paul," she said firmly.  "It's over.  I shouldn't have to put up with your shit, and I *won't* anymore.  Paul narrowed his eyes at her, shaking his head.

"You can't dump me… not a month before our wedding.  You know how much money your family poured into this… you can't do it," he replied.

"Yes I can, and I just did.  It's over Paul, I'm breaking up with you," she said strongly.

"Over my dead body you are."

Both Paul and Stephanie's heads snapped in the direction of the door.  A huge grin formed on Paul's face as he saw who had made the comment.  Standing in the doorway, sending Stephanie a very angry glare, was Vince McMahon. 

**Yay, another chapter!  Keep reviewing guys, you know I love it!!!!**


	13. Part 13

PART 13

****

A MOMENT LATER

Stephanie looked up at her father in shock.  She couldn't believe what he had just barged in and said.

"W-what do you mean?" she asked, a look of both confusion and hurt filling her eyes.

"I meant exactly what I said," Vince replied slowly, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him.  "there is no way I will allow you to break up with Paul and call the wedding off."  Paul smirked, laughing quietly from behind Mr. McMahon.  It was times like these that reminded him why he was so anxious to be married into the McMahon family.  Stephanie ignored her fiancé's laughter, keeping her eyes locked on her father as she felt the tears burning her eyes.

"But Dad, I…"

"Don't 'but Dad' me Stephanie.  You know how much money I have invested in that wedding," he said sternly.  Stephanie shook her head, blinking her tears away.

"I _know_ that Dad, and I'm sorry, but I just can't marry someone that I don't love," she explained, hoping that by some miracle her father would be compassionate and understanding.  She should have known that that would be too much to ask of Vincent Kennedy McMahon.  The Chairman snorted, shifting his glance from Stephanie to Paul, and then back to his daughter again.

"Steph, nobody gets married for love anymore," he responded plainly.  Stephanie looked at him like he was insane.

"Well than what the hell kind of marriage is that?" she inquired, eager to see what kind of response her father could brew up in that thick head of his.

"Just because there's no love in a marriage doesn't mean it can't work out.  Sometimes you just have to do what's best for business.  Look at your mother and I for example… I don't love her, but she's fine with that, because she knows and understands how important it is for the company," he explicated.

The brunette winced at the mention of her mother's name.  She knew that regardless of what Vince believed, Linda was *not* fine with their marriage… in fact, it damn near tore her apart.  While Vince had always assumed that she had married him for the money and prestige that came with being a McMahon, the truth was that for the past twenty years all she'd ever wanted from her husband was love and affection.  Stephanie's pretty face formed into a scowl as she thought of the times her mother would cry to her about how she felt trapped in a loveless marriage… it made her hate her father.

"Please Dad… you know better than any of us that Mom hates the way you treat her," Stephanie retorted, rolling her eyes at him dramatically.  Vince narrowed his cold eyes at his youngest child.

"Don't bring the way I treat your mother into a conversation about *your* wedding," Vince shot back, knowing full well that it was *him* who had first mentioned Linda.  Stephanie sighed, rubbing her eyes tiredly.  She so didn't want to put up with her father or any of his bullshit, especially not now.  She looked over to the door, seriously considering just up and leaving the two men.

"I didn't Dad… *you* did.  And while we're on the subject, Mom may settle on putting up with your shit because she feels that it would be best for me and Shane, but there's no way I'll put up with that with Paul," Stephanie said firmly, surprised at the strength in her tone.  Vince and Paul looked a little surprised as well, but that didn't mean they were going to back down.

"I don't think you should be talking to your father that way Stephanie," Paul finally spoke, earning a look from Stephanie.

"Paul, stay out of this," she warned.  "This is between me and my dad, and I don't…"

"No, he's right Stephanie.  You will not speak to me like that.  I don't care how old you think you are young lady, you are still my daughter, and I will not tolerate you copping an attitude with me."

"I'm only your daughter biologically," Stephanie snapped, gasping immediately after.  She couldn't believe how mad he had gotten her.  She didn't even feel sorry for her comments in the least.

"That's it!" Vince screamed, taking Stephanie by the shoulder and pushing her back down onto the couch.  Her eyes widened as he leaned down and got right in her face.  "Listen to me you ungrateful little bitch," he snarled, and this time Stephanie couldn't hide the fear in her eyes.  "I am sick of you and your attitude.  You say you're only my daughter biologically, that's fine!  As far as I'm concerned, I don't *have* a daughter… I have an obligation.  And that obligation is to make sure that on October 23, you walk down the aisle with me and marry this man."  He paused, gesturing at Levesque, who in turn smiled and winked at his fiancé, feeling much more comfortable with his marital situation knowing that Vince was on his side.

Stephanie pressed back into the couch, trying to keep as far away from her father as possible.  He just looked so unstable, like he could snap on her at any second… and she didn't want to be near him when that happened.  On top of that, her shoulder actually hurt from where he had grabbed her.  _How can he do this to me?  He's supposed to be my father?  _The thoughts she was having brought tears to her eyes, and suddenly Stephanie found them spilling over and down her cheeks.  She couldn't let Paul and her dad see her upset… it would no doubt be a personal victory for both of them.  Instead, she blinked them back yet again, putting on a strong face as she pushed her father by his dress shirt, sending him back far enough for her to get up and book out of the room.  As soon as she closed the door behind her the tears returned, and she had to bite her lip to prevent the loud sob that was threatening to escape.  She placed her hand over her mouth and ran down the hall, the sob escaping through her fingers and echoing off the walls.  She kept running and running, and didn't stop until she bumped into someone…

Chris Irvine, who had been waiting for her the whole time, wrapped his arms tightly around her.

THE NEXT DAY 

Trish sat quietly in the cafeteria area of the hotel, sipping on her tea.  She had the day off, so she slept in and got up around 11.  She had thrown on a pair of sweatpants and headed downstairs… she had some thinking to do anyway.

The first thing that had been on Trish's mind, obviously, had been Randy.  As much as she hated to admit it, she missed him.  Not the Randy she had caught having sex with Jackie Gayda, or the Randy that partied every night and didn't give a damn about her, but the old Randy… the *real* Randy.  She missed the Randy that bought her cards and flowers and sweet talked her all the time for no reason… not the animal he turned into when he hung out with Levesque and Flair.  It seemed, though, that he liked the Evolution lifestyle more than he loved Trish, and she knew that there was nothing she could do about that.  What Randy Orton chose to do with his life was his decision, and the blonde woman understood that.  But that didn't mean she had to like it.

The other thing that was on her mind, a lot more than usual as of late, was Adam Copeland.  Trish didn't know how she could ever thank or repay him for all he'd done for her since the whole mess with Randy started.  From the second she had discovered Randy cheating on her he was by her side, offering her both support and some much needed comfort.  He really had been like a savior to her over the past few weeks… a mental one at least.  She really needed to think of a way to repay him for all he'd done…

"Hey Trish."

Trish snapped out of the cloud of thought she was in, looking up to see who had just greeted her.  Her eyes widened slightly as she saw Randy Orton himself standing at her table.

"Um… hi," she offered, not really knowing what to say.  She had to admit that she was very surprised that he would even look at her, much less actually approach her.

"Can… can I sit down?  Just for a minute?" he asked, sending her a hopeful glance.  Trish looked away for a minute, debating on whether or not she should allow him to sit with her.

"I… I don't know Randy.  I don't think…"

"Please, Trish… I'll only take a minute, I swear," he insisted, his blue eyes pleading with her.  Trish sighed loudly, eventually nodding.

"Oh, okay fine.  One minute," she warned, watching as he pulled out the seat and sat down.

"Okay… thanks.  I just wanted to say… that I'm sorry," Randy said in one breath, pausing and looking up to see what Trish's expression was.  She looked up suddenly, a look of surprise coming over her pretty face.  Randy sent her a half smile, and continued.  "Look, I know I fucked up, but I want to make up for it.  You have to give me another chance Trish… I swear, I'll never do anything like that to hurt you again."  Trish pursed her lips together, sending him an unamused look.

"You know Randy, I had a feeling you were going to try and do this.  How can I ever trust you again?  You *lied* to me for God knows how long, and you want me to just forgive you and pretend like none of it every happened?  I just don't think I can do that," she explained.  She couldn't believe how ballsy Randy was being, coming right up to her and asking to start over.  Randy met her eyes, sending her a confused and hurt look.

"But Trish, please?  Look, I know I've given you no reason to trust me, but you have to listen this time…"

"That's exactly my point Randy!" Trish cried, a little more loudly than she had wanted to.  "If you've given me no reason to trust why should I listen now?"

"Because, I… I just… I love you, Trish," he offered finally, shrugging his shoulders.  Trish couldn't shield the tiny gasp that escaped her lips.  I love you?  That certainly wasn't what Trish had expected to hear.

"You… you what?" she asked him to repeat.  She had to have heard him wrong.  Randy hadn't told her he loved her in months…

"I…" Randy started, but trailed off, looking up as a man in a uniform approached him.

"Are you Randy Orton?" he asked, pulling out a badge and showing it to the two wrestlers.  Looking up at the officer nervously, Randy nodded.  He hadn't done anything, at least not that he could remember… what the hell could the man, who was obviously some kind of law enforcement officer, want with him?

"Yeah… what is it?" he asked, swallowing hard.  Trish sent the officer a very confused look.

"I've been sent here by the Orange County police to deliver this message to you," he said, handing Orton a piece of paper.  Randy accepted the paper from the officer, who then walked away saying nothing, and eyed it over.  His eyes bulged when he realized what it was.

"Randy?  What is it?" Trish asked, trying to peek over the top of the paper to get a glimpse of what it was about.

"Umm… nothing Trish, don't worry about it," he said, quickly going to stuff the paper in his pocket.  _Shit, I'm fucked,_ he thought to himself frantically.  As he went to put the sheet away, Trish reached out and snatched it from his hand, opening it back up and reading over it.  Her eyes widened as well, and when Randy looked up he could plainly see the tears building up in them.

"Another one?  I just wasn't enough for you, was I?" she asked painfully, standing up and storming away from the table after tossing the paper at him.  Randy sighed, looking down at the paper once more.  He really was screwed…

The paper that the officer had delivered to him was a request for a paternity test from a woman named Christina Lee.

**Hehe, here's the next chapter!  Hope you like it!  Okay, I'm a pretty easy-going person, and I'm very accepting to criticism, but there are some things I just won't tolerate.  Sorry to rant on all of you, but this is directed at Doug.  I received two reviews from you on this story (you can all check), and both of them have been for the most part negative.  The first one, about the story being predictable, I can handle.  But in the last one (for chapter 12) you seem to just be searching to find things wrong with my story.  In response to number 1, I did say there was no roster split, and there still isn't.  The shows are still split, but Smackdown is headed by Stephanie and Raw by Eric Bischoff.  Secondly, I can give power to anyone I choose (I could give the whole company to Brother Love if I wanted) because this is a little thing called FICTION.  If you've read any of my stories, you'll notice that that is an occurring theme in all of them. If you seriously can't make any other comments other than the ones you chose to make, stop reviewing.  If you can't sit back and just enjoy the story for what it is then stop reading it.  Once again, to the people who *are* reading the story and enjoying, thank you.  It means a lot, and I'm sorry to have ranted on for so long.**


	14. Part 14

PART 14

IN THE ARENA HALLWAY

Chris quickly ushered Stephanie into the nearest room he could find, which just so happened to be the women's bathroom.  He decided that, at the moment, his main concern was the brunette crying in his arms, not having Trish Stratus walk in to find him in her bathroom.  He led her over to the row of sinks, lifting her up and setting her down on it, his arms still wrapped securely around her.

"Shh," he said quietly, his fingers gently stroking her soft hair.  He held her like that for a few minutes, cradling her until her sobs quieted down.  Soon enough, they had been reduced to dull whimpers and the occasional sniffle, so Chris gently pushed her away from him, his hands resting on her shoulders.  He wiped the remaining tears away, staring into her deep brown eyes.

"Tell me what happened," he requested.  He knew that she had gone to Levesque's locker room with the intention of breaking up with him, and Chris was willing to bet that it didn't go over well.

"I-it's my father," she hiccupped softly, causing Chris to raise an eyebrow… her father?

"Your father?" he reiterated.  "What did he do?" he asked, his hands coming off of her shoulders and settling themselves on her knees.  Stephanie took a deep, shaky breath.

"H-he said that I h-have to marry Paul, that he had too much invested in it for me to back out.  He said it like I'm some… some kind of fucking stock exchange.  He just… he was such an asshole.  He said all of this shit to me Chris… that he didn't love my mother, that I wasn't his daughter.  In fact, he called me an obligation.  He said his 'obligation' was to ensure that I got married on the 23rd, and that he had to do that because it would be good for business.  *And*, he called me an ungrateful little bitch.  What kind of father says those things to his daughter?" she asked, feeling the tears fill her eyes again.  Chris frowned, knowing that he was unable to answer her question.

"I don't know Steph… your father is a unique man, I'll give him that.  But you can't let him get to you.  If he wants to be an asshole, fine… let him be like that.  At some point, he will have no one left on the planet to care for him, and he'll end up rotting all alone," he offered, hoping to lift Stephanie's spirits at least a little.

"I can think whatever I want to Chris, but it isn't going to change anything.  I'll still have to get married to Paul come October 23rd."  Chris almost scowled… that was a date he was most certainly not looking forward to.

"I… I wish I could do something Steph," he said, looking away from her.  He felt so helpless at the moment… and guilty.  He should have never suggested her breaking up with Paul.  In a way, he felt as though if he hadn't done so, her father wouldn't have barged in and Steph's feelings would not have been crushed.  Stephanie was going to be forced into marrying someone that she didn't love, one who obviously didn't love her either, and all he could do was watch.  Because Vince McMahon was so intent on this wedding going on, Chris was powerless in taking any action.

"Oh God, Chris, what am I going to do?" Stephanie asked woefully, the tears spilling down her cheeks yet again.  Chris pulled her into a hug again.

As he rocked her back and forth, he quietly assured her, "Mark my words Steph, if I have anything to do with it, you will *not* being saying 'I do' on October 23rd."  Stephanie sniffled, nodding as she buried her face in Chris's shoulder.  Chris sighed… he had to break up the wedding…

The only problem with that was that he wasn't sure how.

LATER THAT NIGHT 

Trish sat outside, sitting on the curb behind the arena where the show was being held.  She crumpled up the tissue that was in her hand, tossing it to the ground angrily.  This was the second time she had allowed something Randy had done to bring her to tears.  She couldn't believe how blind she had been throughout the course of their relationship.  It was now obvious that Randy had cheated on her with three women:  Gail Kim, Jackie Gayda, and this Christina Lee woman.  Trish was willing to bet any amount of money that it didn't stop there either.  She just didn't understand… why wasn't she good enough?  What did all those women have that she didn't?  Trish had never been the type of women to have a bunch of self confidence issues, but she was beginning to wonder.  After all, if there wasn't anything wrong with her, Randy wouldn't feel the need to cheat on her right?  Trish shook her head… she just didn't know.  This breakup with Randy Orton shook her up more than she'd ever imagined it would.  She was devastated.  So many thoughts about what happened were running through her head at such a rapid pace that her vision was going blurry.

"Trish?  You okay?" a male voice called, suddenly breaking the silence.  Trish jumped, turning around slowly to see Jay Reso standing behind her.  He had been so sick of all the noise in his locker room that he decided to step outside and walk around the back parking lot.  All the fans were inside watching the show, so he knew he wouldn't run the risk of bumping into too many of them.

"I… not really Jay," she said, knowing full well that there was no way she could hide her tears from him.  Slowly walking over to her, Jay took a seat next to her on the curb.

"You want to tell me what's going on?" he asked, studying her intently.

"I'm sure you know what's going on by now," she replied, laughing sardonically.  Jay frowned… he should have known.  He was actually a little surprised that this whole Randy thing was still bothering Trish.  She was tough woman, and she usually didn't let things bug her for so long.

"I thought it might be about him, but you're not the type to cry over a guy like this, so I just thought I'd ask in case something else happened," he said honestly.  It was the truth… in the three or four years he'd known Trish, he had never once seen her cry.  She never shed a single tear in her whole WWE career.

"Well… something did kind of happen, but I don't really want to talk about it," she told him, staring out into the dark sky.

"Oh," Jay replied, a little disappointed.  He really wanted to know what was going on, but he had to respect Trish's decision to not tell him.  "That's fine… you don't have to tell me anything.  Can I get someone for you to talk to?  Like Amy, or Dawn, or… Adam?"

Trish's head shot up at the mention of Adam's name.  If she talked to anyone about this, she wanted it to be him, but she couldn't help but feel like all she'd done to him for the past few weeks was gripe.  She didn't want to bother anymore, out of fear that she might wear out her welcome with him.  Then again, he *was* the one who listened to her the whole time, the one who let her get all her emotions out without trying to inject advice or suggestions.  He did the one thing she needed most… he listened.  If he had done it all those other times, what's to say he wouldn't do it again?

"I…" she started.  "I… no, don't worry about it," she said quietly, disappointment riding in her tone.  She just couldn't impose again.  Jay frowned… he was really hoping that she would at least talk to someone… preferably Adam.

"Trish, you can't keep everything bottled up like this.  One day it's going to come shooting out, and most likely at the wrong person," he told her firmly, hoping he would be able to get her to change her mind.

"I know that Jay, I just… I need some time to think, that's all," she insisted, sniffling again.  She reached into the pocket of the sweatshirt she was wearing, pulling out another tissue and wiping her eyes, thinking of how her eyes probably looked like a mess from all the makeup running.

"Okay, I understand that.  Just promise me that you'll talk to someone when you're ready, even if it's me," he requested, looking over at her again.  Trish looked up at him and nodded.

"I will… thank you Jay," she said, pulling him to her and hugging him.

As Jay wrapped his arms around her, Randy Orton stepped back from the door he was standing behind.  He had walked up a few minutes ago, planning on sitting outside and thinking about everything, until he saw Trish.  He knew he should have left right then and there… it was obvious that she wouldn't want to see him… but for some reason, he stayed.  He watched as Jay walked up and sat down with her, and when she turned to look at him, he could plainly see the tears in her chocolate brown eyes.  He leaned against the wall, placing his hand over his forehead and sighing.  He fucked up… there was no other way of describing it.  All the women he'd gotten with, all the one night stands he had… it was all catching up on him.  Because of the lifestyle he insisted on having, in a matter of two weeks he'd lost his girlfriend and been handed a paternity test from a woman that he didn't even remember sleeping with.  Reality came crashing down on him, and Randy realized that he couldn't live this way forever…

"What am I going to do?"

**Thank you so much for all the comments guys!!  I can't believe how many reviews this story has been getting.  Thank you so much!!!  Keep them coming!!! **Britney__**


	15. Part 15

PART 15

****

TWO WEEKS LATER

Randy sighed loudly as he stepped into his locker room.  Ric Flair, who was sitting on one of the couches reading a magazine, glanced up at him when he entered, frowning at what he saw.  Instead of the usual slacks and dress shirt that Randy wore to arenas, the young man was clad in sweat pants and a huge plain white tee shirt.

"Hey kid, are you sick or something?" he asked, eyeing Randy up and down.  It wasn't that he minded Randy dressing down on his own time, but at work Evolution was considered the richest, fanciest stable in the company… it just wasn't right to not dress the part.

"No, not really," Randy replied plainly.  "Why?"

"Well, you're dressed like, for lack of a better term, a slob," Ric pointed out, gesturing to Orton's choice of clothing.  Randy looked down and eyed his outfit for a moment.

"Look Ric, I'm sorry I didn't dress up or anything.  I'm just not in the mood today, alright?" he told him, hoping that Flair wouldn't give him too much trouble.  He knew that he and Paul were big on being dressy, but to him, it wasn't that big a deal.  It was only clothes for God's sake.

"Oh… okay, well, what's wrong?" Flair asked, his voice showing genuine concern.

"A lot of shit… I'd just rather not talk about it," Randy answered flatly.  Ric raised an eyebrow, wondering what had gotten the kid in such a bad mood.

"Oh, come on… just tell me.  You'll feel much better that way, I promise," Ric assured him.  Randy firmly shook his head.

"Nope, I'm just fine not telling you," he stated, standing up straight and crossing his arms under his chest.  "Honestly Ric, I'd tell you, if I didn't think you'd feel the need to share it with certain people."  Ric's brow raised as he suddenly understood why Randy didn't want to talk to him.

"You don't want me talking to Paul about this I'm guessing," he said.  "Randy, if you really don't want me to mention anything to him, just say the word and I won't."

"I don't want you to say anything to him.  He'll never get off my case about it," Orton replied, and Ric nodded.

"Okay, you have my word.  I won't tell him a thing.  Just tell me what's going on," he said truthfully.  He knew that Randy looked up to him more than Paul, so if he wanted him to keep it a secret, he'd keep it a secret.

"Oh, alright.  It's just… this whole situation with Trish is bugging me.  I… I know what I did was wrong, and I feel terrible about it.  I'm so confused about where I want my life to be.  There are times where I'm glad we broke up, because now I don't have to sneak the women around, but then again, there are times where I miss her.  She and I were able to have conversations… not just sex.  It's like I'm standing at a crossroad and I'm not sure which path it is I want to take," he explained.  Flair nodded, thinking deeply about what Randy had said.

"I understand how you feel.  I'm not sure there's anything I can do, but I understand, believe me.  It'll get better once you get comfortable not having her around. Trust me, you don't need Trish," Flair said.  Randy wasn't so sure about that, but he nodded anyway.

"I guess you're right," he said half-heartedly.  "Well, I'm going to go grab something to eat, do you want anything?"

Flair shook his head, "No, I'm good."  Then, as Randy was walking out the door, a white envelope caught Ric's eye.  "Hey, Randy, wait a second!" he called after him.

"Yeah?" Randy asked, poking his head in the door.  Flair stood, motioning for him to come back in the room as he walked over and grabbed the envelope off the table.  He walked back over to Randy, handing it to him.

"Somebody dropped this off and said to make sure that you got it," he explained.  

Randy eyed the envelope curiously, wondering what it was from.  Then, he noticed an Orange County Police insignia on the top corner of it.  It was his paternity test results.  Breathing deeply, Randy wasn't so sure he even wanted to open it.  After all, if he was the father of Christina Lee's baby, he didn't want to know, especially considering the fact that he didn't even know who Christina Lee was.  Then again, if the child was indeed his, he had to take care of it.  Regardless of whether or not he *wanted* to, it would automatically become his obligation.  Sighing loudly, he slowly ripped off the top of the envelope.  He closed his eyes as he pulled the paper out, not wanting to look at it.  Ric raised an eyebrow at him, walking over and leaning over Randy's shoulder to see what the paper was.  It had certainly peaked his curiosity earlier when a paper with the Orange County PD logo on it showed up.  Randy almost felt himself shaking as he dared to open one eye.  With the other eye squeezed shut, he scanned the paper.  He felt the air rush out of him when he read down the bottom…

He was the father.  

OCTOBER 22, 2003 

Chris sat alone in his hotel room, thinking to himself about his current situation.  Tomorrow was the 23rd, the day of the big Stephanie McMahon and Paul Levesque wedding.  Just the thought of Stephanie being married to that creep made him want to puke.  There was no way he could let her go through with it.  She didn't want to marry him, so why should she have to?  If only her father wasn't such an asshole.  If only he wasn't forcing her to go on with the wedding even though he *knew* how much she was against it.  If only he could think of a way to break it up before it started.  Hell, if only a lot of things were different.  There *had* to be a way that Chris could get that wedding stopped.  He thought and thought, but nothing was coming to his head… nothing logical, anyway.

He smirked as he thought of possibly attacking Paul or Vince before the wedding.  Stephanie couldn't get married if her father or husband were conveniently missing, could she?  Maybe he could tie Paul up and lock him in a closet.  Not only would that prevent him from getting married, but that would embarrass the living hell out of him also.  Chris almost laughed at how dumb that idea was.  He shook his head, trying to clear his mind.  He had to get serious… the wedding was tomorrow, and if he didn't think of something soon, Stephanie would be a Levesque in less that 24 hours.

Chris scowled as his anger shifted from Levesque to Vince McMahon.  That man was such a slimy bastard… he deserved to be attacked even more so than Levesque.  Paul was only a jerk because that was the only way he knew how to be… Vince *chose* to be an asshole, and he obviously enjoyed it.  He thought of Stephanie telling him that her father had actually looked as though he was going to hit her.  Chris would have loved to be in the room when that happened.  He would have killed him.  In all honestly, it was best that he *wasn't* in the room… losing his job wasn't something he was anxious to do.

Finally, something hit him.  As he was sitting there, thinking about the process of the wedding, it came to him.  He had the perfect way of stopping the wedding, and it didn't involve hurting anyone physically… it hardly involved physicality at all.  A sly smile curved up his lips as he laughed quietly in the otherwise silent room.  It was perfect.  All of a sudden, he found himself very excited about the wedding.  Things were definitely beginning to look up…

It didn't look like Stephanie was going to be getting married after all.

**Hey all!  Hope you're still enjoying it!!  Let me know what you think!! **Britney**


	16. Part 16

PART 16

OCTOBER 23, 2003

Adam pulled his car into the parking lot at the large church in Greenwich, Connecticut.  He stopped the door, unbuckling his seat belt and glancing over into the passenger seat.  He sent the woman sitting next to him a small grin.

"Thanks for coming with me Adam… I know you didn't want to," Trish said, returning his grin with one of her own.

Adam shrugged, looking out at the church.  

Trish had called him two days earlier to ask him if he would consider taking her to Paul and Stephanie's wedding.  She had originally planned on going with Randy, but it was quite obvious to both of them that they would no longer be attending together.  At first, Adam was leaning towards saying no to Trish's request.  He had been invited to the wedding as well, as most of the company had, but he just didn't want to go.  Him and a few of his friends – namely, Rob Szaktowski, Jay, both of the Dudley's, John Cena, Eddie Guerrero – had decided that, almost in a way of protest to Paul, they weren't going to show.  Trish pulled the guilt trip on him though, saying that it would mean a lot to Stephanie for him to go.  Thinking of the young woman who was basically being forced into the marriage made Adam reconsider his decision.  Besides, he wasn't going to pass up the chance at spending the day as Trish's date.

"It's cool.  Like you said, it's for Stephanie," he said finally, looking over at her as the two of them stepped out of the car.  "Besides, I didn't think you would force me into attending an event in the support of Paul Levesque."

"Well that's only because you haven't done anything to piss me off lately," Trish replied jokingly, smacking him lightly on the arm.

"I guess I'll know better than to get on your nerves then," he said, laughing quietly.  The two of them continued walking in the direction of the building.  Once they reached the doors, Trish stopped suddenly, causing Adam to stop as well.  He turned to face her, sending her a questioning look.

"What is it?" he asked curiously.  Trish's eyes glanced up at down at the large building before them before she turned to face him.

"Nothing, I was just thinking," she said, shrugging it off.  Adam wasn't so quick to forget about it.

"What were you thinking about?" he asked, pressing for her to continue.  Trish sighed, looking up at him.

"I was just thinking about Chris, that's all," she admitted, shrugging again.  Adam looked down at her again, raising an eyebrow.

"Chris?  What about him?" he asked curiously.

"Oh, I don't know… I'm just not so sure I like the idea of him being here today," she said skeptically, her eyes fixed on the large wooden doors of the church.

Adam nodded… he had to agree with her.  He didn't understand why Chris would even want to show up at Stephanie and Paul's wedding in the first place.  It had to be torture for him, watching a woman he was madly in love with marry another man… especially one that she didn't even want to marry.  The Canadian just didn't get why he would want to put himself through all that.  Then again, it *was* Chris, and he had a tendency to do a lot of weird things in the name of love.

"I don't really like it either Trish, but he was invited.  Nobody can tell him not to come," Adam pointed out.

"True, but still, I don't like it," she said.  "I mean, this whole thing is obviously going to upset him.  I'm just afraid of him doing something he'll regret."

"Like what?" Adam asked, slightly on the defensive side.  He didn't think that there was anything Chris could do to Paul, or Vince McMahon for that matter, that he would regret.  Trish frowned at the jumpiness in Adam's tone.  She knew that he had pretty much the same feelings for Paul as Chris did, so there wasn't much she could argue with him about.

"Nothing Adam, I just… I don't want him breaking down in the church or anything," she said seriously.  As much as she would hate to see that, it wasn't something she considered impossible.  Chris was, although he made himself out to be very macho, a very sensitive man, and it would surprise Trish in the least to see him have a breakdown during the wedding.

"Well, I doubt anything like that will happen.  Come on, let's just go in and do our best to enjoy the wedding," he suggested, placing his hand on her shoulder and leading her into the building.

The truth of the matter was, Adam *did* thing that something was going to happen with Chris.  There was no way Chris would show up at the wedding unless he had some kind of plan, something he could do to ruin it without getting himself into major trouble.  He was Chris Jericho for Christ's sake… he *always* had something up his sleeve.  Adam almost smiled at the thought.  He could use a few good laughs.  He didn't care how the wedding was broken up, as long as the job got done.

They were in for one hell of a ceremony.

TWENTY MINUTES LATER 

Paul Levesque stood at the head of the aisle, glancing out at the people in the church, waiting for Stephanie to come down the aisle.  He caught a glimpse of his mom, who he smiled and winked at, and then continued to scan the pews.  He was actually quite surprised at the turnout… he didn't have many friends these days.  A few people that stuck out of the crowd to him were Adam Copeland, Trish Stratus, Shawn Michaels, and… Chris Irvine?  Paul's eyes narrowed as he stared at the blonde haired man, who was seated near the back of the church.  He wasn't sure of exactly why Chris had shown up… he certainly hadn't been planning on it… but he would kill him if he tried to pull anything.  As he continued to stare, he jumped when Chris's ice blue eyes met his.  He looked away quickly, scowling.  _Don't even think about it Irvine,_ he thought sadistically.  _You fuck up my wedding and I will murder you._

Then, the organ music sounded and Paul's head turned to the other end of the aisle, where he saw Stephanie standing, her arm linked with Vince's.  As the two headed in the direction of Paul, the wedding party, and the priests, it was obvious to all the guests that the bride to be was not happy at all.  In fact, as she passed her mother, Linda could plainly see the tears in her daughter's brown eyes.  She, as well as mostly everyone else, knew that they were not tears of joy, but tears of despair.  She desperately wished that she had done more to fight this, to somehow get the wedding cancelled so that Stephanie wouldn't have to go through with it, but it was too late.

Once Stephanie reached the top of the aisle, Vince stepped in front of her and lifted up her veil, smiling down proudly at her.  Stephanie managed to send a weak smile back, but what she really wanted to do was spit right in his smug, ugly face.  She despised her father for forcing her into this wedding, and she wasn't sure how long she could keep the happy façade going when she was actually ready to throw up.  She glanced up at Paul as the priest began speaking, staring at him in disgust.  She didn't want to marry him… this wasn't the way her wedding day was supposed to be.  A woman's wedding day was supposed to be the happiest day of her life, one that is filled with joy and love.  Her wedding to Paul Levesque was making a mockery of the institution of marriage.  She felt the hot tears burning at her eyes as she watched Paul turn and wink at Kevin Nash, who was playing the role of his best man.  The two of them, along with her father, seemed to be the only happy people in the entire room.  Even Randy Orton and Ric Flair, who were standing to the side of Nash, appeared a little uncomfortable watching the making of a union they knew wouldn't last.  Stephanie did her best to blink the tears back, shaking her head slightly and forcing herself to pay attention to the minister, who was already well into the ceremony.

"And so, if there is anyone who feels that these two should not be united in the holy state of matrimony, speak now, or forever hold your peace," he said, glancing out to the crowd in the church.

There was a moment of split silence, and then someone in the back rose.  Everyone turned in their seats, gasping as they watched Chris Irvine standing in his pew, eyeing Paul with an icy glare.  He took his gaze off of Paul and shifted to Stephanie, sending her a strong smile.  Then, he looked back at the priest, speaking loudly and firmly so that the whole church could hear him.

"I object."

**Hey all!  Hope you liked this chapter!! LOL, you didn't think I'd actually *let* Stephanie marry HHH did you?  Review please!!! I'm almost at 100 reviews!! Thank you so much guys!!!**


	17. Part 17

PART 17

****

A MOMENT LATER

The people in the church all turned and gasped as they eyed Chris in shock.  The Canadian's gaze remained firm as he kept his blue eyes locked on Paul.  He cautiously stepped out into the aisle, pulling a folded piece of paper out of the pocket of his suit jacket.  He slowly made his way to the head of the aisle, approached the priest.  He stepped up to him, though his glare was still fixed on Levesque, who was currently staring at him with murder in his eyes.  As Paul stood there, he felt Kevin grab a hold of his arm in an obvious attempt to hold him back.  Paul was so angry at the moment that he wouldn't have thought twice about ripping Nash's arm off the get to Chris.  Stephanie's teary eyes were wide as her gaze shifted from Chris, to Paul, and then to her father.  Vince had an expression on his face that was similar to the one Paul was wearing… he appeared to be about two seconds away from strangling Chris for having the balls to interrupt the ceremony.  Vince took a moment to tear his gaze off of Chris and glanced over at his daughter.  While she did have a look of shock on her face, to Vince it seemed as though it was forced, like she wasn't really surprised at all.  In fact, he saw what he thought to be the beginnings of a grin forming on her lips.

"This wedding can not go on," Chris said seriously, directing his attention to the priest.  The man opened his mouth to say something, but Vince spoke for him.

"And what the hell gives you the right to say that?" he demanded, taking a step forward. 

From their seats in the back, Adam and Trish shook their heads.  Trish looked down at the floor, closing her eyes in fear.  Something bad was going to happen, and she didn't want to be watching when it did.  This was one of the things that she was afraid was going to happen.  She had known all along that Chris was crazy enough about Stephanie to be blinded into thinking that he could get her out of the wedding scot-free.  Now he was standing up there with two men who wanted to pummel him, and who wouldn't think twice about doing it in a church, and it wasn't like any of the other men up there would help him if that did happen.  Chris was going to get the shit beat out of him by Paul and Vince.  She sighed, and then jumped slightly as she felt a hand on her knee.  She looked over and saw Adam opening his hand to her.  She reached over and took his hand, and he squeezed hers gently, both of them looking back up at Chris.

"Because of this," Chris said, holding up the folded piece of paper.  He glanced over at Stephanie, who was now smiling at him.  Paul noticed her grin immediately.  If he found out that that bitch knew about Chris objecting to their marriage…  "Paul Levesque cannot marry Stephanie McMahon simply because of the fact that she is already married."  Everyone gasped again.

"To who?" Vince challenged.  Sending Vince a cocky smirk, Chris simply stared at him, a look of victory present in his eyes.

"To me," he said pointedly.  There was another collective gasp, and this time Paul and Vince gasped right along with them.  "I've got the marriage license to prove it."  The priest, whose eyes were also wide, reached out for the paper.

"Let me just…"

"Give me that," Paul said, snatching the paper out of Chris's hand before the priest had a chance to grab it.  

He unfolded the document and read it over.  Sure enough, it was a certificate of marriage, and the signatures on the paper were Christopher Keith Irvine and Stephanie Marie McMahon.  Paul's face scrunched into a scowl as she read the paper over again.  The little bastard outsmarted him and stole his wife!  Levesque crumpled up the paper and shoved back to Chris in disgust.  Then, he gave the smaller man a good shove, sending him backwards, causing him to trip and fall.  He turned to Stephanie, grabbing her by the straps of her dress.

"You little bitch!" he screamed, his deep voice echoing through the fairly small church.  "What the hell are you trying to pull?!  I swear Stephanie, I'll kill…"

Paul stopped yelling when a fist slammed into his back, leaning down and groaning in pain.  Chris took one look at Paul on the ground, who was trying to catch his breath, making it obvious that the punch knocked the wind out of him.  Then, he grabbed Stephanie's hand and the two of them bolted out of the church.  As soon as Vince noticed them trying to get away, he stopped trying to help Paul up and charged after them, screaming all the way out of the church.

"Hey!  Get back here!"

Stephanie and Chris flew out into the parking lot, not stopping until they reached the car waiting for them in the parking lot.  When Chris had devised his whole plan the night before, he had arranged for somebody to be ready to drive them away from the church… there wouldn't be enough time for them to start the car themselves and then to get away.  Vince chased them all the way to the car, banging his fists on the window as Chris slammed the door shut just as he reached them.  He groaned as the tires screeched and the car sped away, catching a glimpse of another blonde Canadian in the driver's seat.  That damn Jay Reso was driving the getaway car!  They probably had this whole thing planned perfectly.  Vince scowled as he watched the car spped away, noting that the guests were exiting the church behind him.  He wanted to turn around and scream at them to get back inside, but it was really no use.  The wedding was over.  As he shook his head at what just happened, Vince vowed to himself that he would not let this slide…

Chris would *not* get away with this.

THE NEXT WEEK 

Trish sat in the hallway of the arena the WWE was working at, doodling in a notebook.  She had done that a lot lately… the notebook had pretty much become a part of her.  Back when Jeff Hardy was in the WWE, he had explained to her that having a notebook to keep random thoughts and drawings in was good for one's mental health.  At first Trish discarded the idea… after all, Jeff was the artistic and poetic one, not her.  Then one day she had a really big fight with Randy, and she took a pen and a pad of paper and stormed out of their hotel room.  She sat in the lobby for nearly an hour, scribbling, drawing, and writing down random thoughts.  She was surprised at how much it really helped her to calm down.  Going back and looking at it, none of it made sense, but at the time it was a much needed outlet for her feelings.  With the way her life had been going recently, the notebook had been getting filled pretty quickly.  Once again, she had been deep in thought about her situation with Randy, so she took out the book and began scribbling things down again.

"Well, look who we have here," a voice called, cutting into her thoughts.  Trish's head snapped up, and she scowled as she met the dark eyes of Gail Kim.

"Gail," she said plainly.  Trish glanced over at the tiny woman.

"What do you have there?" Gail asked, stepping up to Trish and glancing at the notebook, which Trish snapped shut protectively.

"None of your damn business," Trish scoffed.

"Oh?  Come on, I just want a peak," Gail insisted, prying the book out of her hands.  Trish lunged for it, but Gail spun around, opening the book and taking a look inside.  She sent the book a confused look, turning and laughing in Trish's face.  "You must have a lot of time on your hands."

"Do you have something to say to me or what?  I'm not in the mood to deal with your bullshit," Trish said pointedly, scowling at her.

"Actually, I do," Gail replied, handing the notebook back over to her like it was a piece of garbage.

I came to ask you something.  You've been so hostile towards me lately Trish, and I was wondering why.  Have I done something to offend you?" she asked innocently, placing a hand on her hip.

"Yeah, you did Gail.  You fucked my boyfriend," Trish reminded.

"Oh, yeah, that's it.  You're mad because Randy finds me more attractive then he finds you.  Well, does that honestly surprise you?  I mean, compare yourself to me," Gail said.

"Exactly," Trish replied.  "I'm willing to bet all of my life savings that Randy didn't fuck you because he thought you were prettier than me.  He did it because he was horny and he knew you were a cheap whore."  It was Gail's turn to scowl.

"You little bitch," she growled, shoving Trish into the wall.  

Trish couldn't help but cry out in pain as her head hit the wall.  She took a moment to collect herself, and then she lunged at Gail, incensed.  She knocked the smaller woman to the floor and started pounding her.  Maybe when it came to wrestling she could hold her own, but this wasn't wrestling… it was a fight.  And there was no way that Trish Stratus would let Gail Kim outfight her…

No way in hell.

The two of them rolled around on the floor for a few minutes, but soon enough Trish gained control of the fight and started pummeling Gail with right hands.  Not long after they began fighting, a man stepped out of his locker room and headed in the direction of the catering room.  When he passed through one of the hallways, he heard what sounded like two people screaming.  He turned around and his eyes widened as he saw the two women fighting on the floor.

"Hey!" he called, rushing over to them.

He leaned down, grabbing Trish and doing his best to pull her off of Gail.  When Trish felt someone else's hands on her, she swung back, connecting with the man's jaw.  Not even bothering to look up at who it was, Trish went right back to what she was doing, nailing Gail again in the face.  She cried out in pain as Gail grabbed a fistful of her blonde hair and yanked on it.  She mustered up the strength to flip them over so that she was on top of Trish and when she released the grip on the blonde woman's hair, she noticed that she had actually pulled a few locks of hair out of her head.  She threw the hair to the ground, balling her hand into a fist and punching Trish in the face.  At this time, the man recovered from the punch Trish had given him.  Damn, she certainly had a hell of a right hook.  He glanced over and noticed that Gail had taken control, and he jumped.  He grabbed Gail and threw her across the floor, separating the two.  After glancing back and forth between the two of them, the man dropped to his knees in front of Trish, who had her back to him.

"Trish!" he called, and the young woman froze.  Not only had she heard the voice that time, she immediately recognized who it belonged to.  As she turned slightly to face him, her suspicions were true.  She was met with a pair of light blue eyes.  She glanced up at the man in shock as he helped her up off the floor…

And Randy Orton wrapped his arm around her.

**I know I've said this like 89 times already, but thank you so much for all these reviews!!!!!  The feedback I'm getting for this story is crazy!!!!!  You guys rock!!!!  Hope you like the next chapter!!!**


	18. Part 18

PART 18

****

"Randy?" Trish asked, eyeing her ex boyfriend in disbelief.  His arm still wrapped around her, Randy shrugged and nodded.  He said nothing as he watched Gail Kim pick herself up off the floor, the Asian diva muttering a string of curses as she hurried away.  Then, he turned his attention back to Trish, helping the blonde woman up to her feet.  He glanced down at her, noticing that the expression on her face had gone from incensed to surprised… maybe even pleasantly surprised.  Randy knew still that Trish would want an explanation, so he prepared himself to do just that.

"Look, Trish, I…" he said, pausing to bring his hand up to his jaw, where she had punched him.  It was when he spoke that he realized for the first time that she had a hell of a right hook.  Still holding onto his jaw, Randy tried again.  "Um… are you okay?" he asked, his pale blue eyes full of concern.  Ignoring his question, Trish's gaze changed into one of almost sympathy as Randy continued to clutch his jaw painfully.

"Randy, I'm sorry," she said, tentatively raising her hand to his face, touching his jaw line gently.  "Are *you* okay?  I didn't mean to punch you like that, I just…"

"I'm fine," he assured her, laughing softly.  "You uh… you've got a hell of a punch."  

Trish smiled briefly, and then their conversation fell into silence.  It wasn't a comfortable one though… it was one of those weird, awkward, uncomfortable ones.  It was obvious that both of them wanted to say something, but the matter of actually getting the words out just wasn't happening.  Trish looked up at Randy, their eyes meeting for the first time she he had shown up.  Her breath caught in her throat as he stared down at her, his arm *still* locked around her waist, almost in a protective manner.  It was almost as though he was afraid to let go, in fear of not being able to get her back there again.  Then, letting curiosity get the better of him, Randy spoke up again.

"What happened?" he asked, loosening his grip on her and sitting down on a nearby equipment crate, pulling her with him.  "I-if you don't mind my asking, I mean."  Trish eyed him suspiciously. Why was he being so friendly and caring?  She wasn't sure what he was up to, but at the moment, she was in desperate need of someone to talk to, so Randy would have to do.  She sighed, deciding to go along.

"Well… she just came up to me while I was messing around in my notebook," she said, pausing and pointing to the notebook, which was on the floor in front of them, "and she just got in my face and started saying shit.  She kept trying to take the book away from me, and then she started saying stuff that I didn't particularly like, and the next thing I knew, we were fighting.  I know that I should have just blown her off, but she was really getting under my skin.  I just… I overreacted," she explained, lowering her head.  For some reason, Randy just didn't think that was the case.  Trish had always been one of the most level headed people he knew.  Still, he nodded perceptively, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.  She just looked so damn upset…

"Are you sure you're okay?" Randy asked suddenly.  Trish sighed, looking over at him.

"Well, yeah, I just… I could get in big trouble for this," she said, crossing her arms in front of her.

"People get in fights all the time, Trish.  You're not going to get in that much trouble," he assured her.

"You don't know that," Trish shot back.   "Especially knowing Gail… I bet anything that she's already ran off to find Vince to rat me out.  She'll probably tell him that *I* started the fight, and he'll probably believe her too because he hates that I'm friends with Stephanie."  Randy nodded… she had a point.

"Well, I wouldn't put it past Gail to do that.  She has a tendency of being a real bitch," he agreed.  He should have known better than to say that.  Trish shot him a look.

"Why are you acting like you don't like her?  You didn't seem to have a problem with her when your dick was in her mouth," she snapped bitterly, the painful memories of Randy cheating on her with her own coworkers rushing back to her mind.  Randy frowned at her cold tone.  _Ouch._

"Alright, I deserved that," he conceded, carefully removing his arm from around her shoulder.  "Trish, I know I fucked up, okay?  That doesn't mean that I don't care about you."  Trish's gaze softened as she heard his quiet, almost shy tone.  When she didn't say anything in response, Randy continued.  "A-and I don't expect this to change anything, but I'm… I'm sorry," he said softly.  Trish looked over at him, suddenly feeling the strongest urge to cry.  She wasn't sure why, but it was there, and she found herself fighting tears.

"Sorry…" she repeated him, in a tone so quiet that it was barely audible.  

Randy nodded, keeping his gaze locked on her intently as he waited for a reaction.  He wasn't exactly sure how Trish was going to take his apology, but his gut told him to prepare for the worst.  With the way their conversation was going, he was half expecting to become the victim of another right hook.  When she finally did react, however, he was completely taken aback.  He was pretty much expecting her to freak out.  He had mentally prepared himself to hear her scream at him, to hear Trish cry and scream about how much he hurt her, how much pain he put her through.  He would have deserved it too, but he didn't get it.  She didn't scream, she didn't cry, and she certainly didn't punch him.  But she did do something, something that shocked the hell out of Randy…

She kissed him.

MEANWHILE 

Stephanie McMahon sat in her office, sorting through the script for the night's show.  She sighed tiredly as she made some editing changes.  She was still a part of the writing team, but not in the way she wanted to be.  Her father had all of a sudden decided – right after the wedding fiasco, not surprisingly – that it would be in the 'best interest of the company' for her to step down from the position of head writer.  Paul Heyman, who was elected by her father alone as her replacement, knew damn well that Vince appointed him only for the sole purpose of getting under Stephanie's skin, but that smug bastard gleefully accepted the job anyway.  A sudden knock at the door drew Stephanie's attention away from the scripts and she looked up at the door.

"Come in," she called, placing her pen down on the desk in front of her as she waited to see who had come to see her.

"Hi," a pair of blue eyes said.

"Hi Chris," Stephanie replied, sending him a small smile.  Shutting the door behind him, Chris walked over to her and took a seat in a chair in front of her desk. 

"How are you?" he asked, eyeing her curiously.

Shrugging, Stephanie responded, "I'm kind of busy, but I'm okay."

She hoped that maybe he would take the hint that she was busy and leave her to her work.  Actually, the truth was that she wasn't all that busy, but she just couldn't bring herself to talk to him.  She hadn't really been able to since her wedding… or lack thereof.  She was so grateful to him for what he did, so she just couldn't tell him what was going on in her head.  Not after all he'd done.

"Um, Steph, can I ask you something?" he requested, folding his hands in his lap.  Picking up her pen again, Stephanie went back to her work.

"Sure," she said.  "Shoot."

"Can you… can you explain why you haven't spoken so much as four words to me in the last week?  Did I do something wrong?" he asked, his blue eyes containing a mixture of confusion and concern.

"No.  What would make you think that?" she asked, just as confused.

"I don't know, I just… well, I know a lot's been going through your mind lately, and I know you must want to talk to someone," he said.  Stephanie looked up at him for a moment, her gaze serious as she shrugged her shoulders.

"I guess… but you've done enough Chris.  I don't want to burden you anymore than I already have," she said honestly.

"But Stephanie, you aren't a burden to me at all.  I *asked* to help you, remember?  Besides, I'm always here for you.  And, as weird as it may sound right now, you're my wife," he said.

_Wife_, Stephanie thought.  _What a mockery of the word I am._  She just couldn't bear to be in this situation anymore.  It was almost as though marrying Chris was the same as being married to Paul.  Paul was an asshole, and Chris only married her to help her out as a friend.  Neither man loved her.  What the hell was the point of having a marriage if there was no love in between the husband and wife.  She couldn't stand it anymore, and it had only been a week.  Then, she did the only thing she could think of at the moment…

She stood and swiftly exited the room, leaving behind a very confused Canadian.

**I'm baaaaaack!!! LOL, hope ya'll like this chapter.  I do have a question for you guys though.  I want to know what direction you want this story to take.  After reading this chapter, its obvious that one of two things could happen.  A.) Randy and Trish could get back together for awhile, or B.) Randy could nicely turn her away, because he doesn't want to hurt her anymore.  What do you all think?  Let me know in your reviews!!**


	19. Part 19

PART 19

When Trish initially kissed him, Randy wasn't sure how to react. At first, he did what any man being kissed by a beautiful blonde woman would do... he kissed her back. He wrapped his arm around her, drawing her close to him as her tongue slid into his mouth. He hadn't kissed Trish in so long, he had almost forgotten how good of a kisser she was. For awhile, he simply let himself go, allowing himself to enjoy and get caught up in the moment. It was long after, though, that a through burning in the back of his head screamed at him...

  
  
This was dead wrong.

  
  
He couldn't do this... on top of the fact that Trish was his ex-girlfriend, he knew what the results would be. Randy knew that Trish would not kiss him like that unless she strongly felt that he deserved another shot. It wasn't that Randy didn't *want* another try, he just knew that he wouldn't be able to handle it. If the two of them were to get back together, things would be as they always were. They would be happy for a little while, but eventually, Randy's partying habits would be, as they had before, the end of their relationship. He thought of all the things he had done to hurt her in the past. Ditching her for his friends, his affairs with Gail Kim, Jackie Gayda, and numerous other women Trish didn't even know about, not to mention fathering someone's baby. He had just done so many things to hurt her in the past year...  
  


  
He didn't want to do it anymore.

  
  
"Trish," he said, breaking the kiss and gently pushing her off of him. "Trish, stop. We can't do this." Trish opened her eyes, sending Randy a soft smile.

  
  
"Randy, it's okay," she insisted. She moved in to kiss him again, but he cut her off. Pushing her away again, Randy frowned as he saw the look of disappointment in her eyes. This was going to be harder than he imagined.

  
  
"No... Trish, it's not okay. We... we just can't do..."

  
  
"Randy, I've been doing some thinking lately," Trish interrupted, silencing him by placing a finger to his lips. "Actually, I've been doing a *lot* of thinking lately, and I've decided something. I forgive you. I-I don't think I'll ever understand why you did it, but I forgive you. I... I really think we could work something out." Randy had to force himself to look away, fearing that if he kept his gaze locked on her for too long, he would melt. Looking up at the ceiling, he frowned, shaking his head weakly.

  
  
"You don't understand... we can't work anything out Trish, we really can't," he told her. Trish sent him a confused, hurt look.

  
  
"Why not?" she asked, a hint of sadness in her tone. "Don't you want to give us another try?"

  
  
"I... of course I do honey. More than anything in the world, but it just won't work. Too much has changed since the beginning of the relationship." Trish sighed, running her manicured nails through her hair.

  
  
"Randy, if this is about the girls, and the woman with the baby, I don't care if..."

  
  
"It's not just the baby Trish," Randy cut her off, shaking his head. "I'm just... I'm trying to do the right thing for once." Trish was more confused than ever.  
  


  
"Okay, let me get this straight. Doing the right thing is giving up on us?" she asked. "Randy, we were together for over a year! If I'm willing to forgive and forget, why wouldn't you..."

  
  
"No, it's not that. It's just... I don't want to hurt you, and I know that's what I'll do. I never intentionally hurt you Trish, but I can't help it. I just think that the best way to prevent myself from hurting you again is by not being with you. I'm just looking out for you, as twisted as it may sound."

  
  
Trish sighed quietly. She knew Randy was right, and she knew that she probably couldn't handle getting her heart broken like that again. But for some reason, she just didn't care. She wanted to try anyway. She loved Randy, and she knew that deep down - beneath the parting and the clubs and all the women - he loved her too. Maybe she *would* get hurt again, but as far as she was concerned, she was willing to take the risk.

  
  
"I understand that you're afraid of commitment, but maybe if we take things really slow, we can get everything to work out. I love you Randy, and I don't want to lose you," she said seriously, eyeing him intently. 

  
  
Randy's stomach dropped as he heard her utter the words 'I love you,' the sentiment obviously coming straight from her heart. He finally brought his gaze down, his pale blue eyes meeting her deep brown ones. God, it would be so much easier for him to turn her away if she wasn't so damn cute. He sighed, almost sadly, as he shook his head, placing his hand on her arm gently.

  
  
"I... I'm sorry Trish, but I just can't. Maybe someday... maybe somewhere down the road, you and I will be together again, but now is just not our time," he said softly, patting her shoulder and standing up, preparing to walk away. He knew that he was way too much a coward to stick around to watch for her reaction.

  
  
Turning slowly, he walked away, leaving Trish to stare at him in disbelief. She leaned back in her seat, her back pressing up against the wall. "Maybe somewhere down the road, you and I will be together again..." Although Randy's statement was optimistic, Trish still felt the tears building in her eyes. She wanted to believe him. She wanted to believe that there was chance for them long down the road in the future, but she knew better. She guessed she had known it all along...  
  


  
They were through.  
  
THE NEXT NIGHT  
Adam and Jay sat in the locker room, both men preparing for their respective matches that night. The room was dead silent, but it wasn't awkward or uncomfortable. The two of them did that a lot, spent time together without saying a single word to one another, and neither of them got creeped out by it. They supposed that it made sense. After being friends with someone for over twenty years, you kind of run out of things to talk about. Just then, the locker room door opened, the sound of it cutting into the silence. Both men glanced up, smiling as they saw Chris entering the room. Adam was the first to notice that their friend did not look happy.

  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked, his smile fading. Chris shrugged, walking over to his bag and sitting down in front of it.

  
  
"Nothing major," he replied, reaching down and unzipping his bag, beginning to pull out his ring gear. He kind of hoped his friends would drop the subject. He wasn't very much in the mood to talk. But by that time, Jay too had looked up to see the expression on Chris's face, and he frowned as well.  
  


  
"Well, what is it?" he asked, a look of concern filling his brown eyes. Chris sighed, dropping his bag to the ground.  
  


  
"It's just the whole thing with Stephanie. I really think she hates me," he told them. Jay raised an eyebrow.  
  


  
"Why the hell would she hate you?" he asked, his gaze of concern transforming into one of confusion. If *he* were Stephanie McMahon, Chris would probably be his most favorite person in the world.

  
  
"I don't know. Yesterday, she said something about us being married being almost the same as her being married to Paul, that there was the same amount of love in both of them... which obviously means none. On top of that, she hasn't spoken a single word to me all day. All fucking day," he explained. The other two men nodded simultaneously.  
  


  
"Ya know Chris," Adam spoke up. "I'm not trying to side with Stephanie on this or anything, but think about what she's been through recently. She goes from being forced into marrying a man who doesn't love her into marrying another man who doesn't love her, solely to get away from the first one." Jay nodded in agreement.

  
  
"He's right man. She's got to just feel trapped. I mean, I'm sure she's grateful you got her out of that situation with Paul, but at the same time, she's got to feel like she's back to square one. Going from one loveless marriage to another doesn't make the problem go away, it just switches things up a bit," he pointed out.

  
  
"Who said I didn't love her?" Chris shot back in a very defensive tone. He looked at Adam and Jay like they were crazy. They *had* to be crazy if they thought he didn't love Stephanie. After all, that was the main reason he did what he did. "Of course I love her! Why do you think I'd spend so much time and energy on someone? I didn't want to see her get shoved into that relationship! Maybe it was a bad idea for us to get married, but I had to think fast. I did all this *because* I love her."  
  


  
Both of the other blonde Canadians nodded again, a grin spreading on both of their faces. It took him long enough to admit it... now there was just the matter of making sure the most important person of all found out. Adam grinned widely, glancing over at Chris again.  
  


  
"You know you love her, and *we* know you love her, but there's only one problem with that," he said. Chris raised a brow.

  
  
"What's that?" he replied, to which Adam shook his head.  
  


  
"Does *Stephanie* know that you love her?"

  
  
  
****

**Hey! Sorry it took so long for the update, hope ya like it! It was kinda split between people who wanted to keep Randy and Trish together and wanted them to stay apart. This was the way I originally envisioned it, so I'm sorry if it isn't what you wanted. Hopefully you'll continue reading. =) Trust me, Randy isn't done in the story at all!**


	20. Part 20

PART 20

TWO WEEKS LATER

Randy sighed as he entered Evolution's locker room, rubbing his eyes tiredly as he plopped down on the couch. Dave Batista, who had very recently returned from his tricep injury, glanced at him witha  slightly confused look. He raised an eyebrow, dropping the equipment bag in his hand and sitting down across from him.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked, a hint of worry in his tone. Randy exhaled loudly, shrugging his shoulders.

"I'm exhausted, my shoulder - not to mention the rest of my body - is killing me, I have no girlfriend, and I just got back from a meeting with a woman I barely remember who is carrying my child," he said in one breath. 

Dave's somewhat lighthearted expression fell immediately upon hearing Randy's statement. He frowned, feeling a pang of sympathy. Even though he was aware that Randy was the cause of his own troubles, he still felt for him. Ever since the two of them were enlisted in Evolution, the two young men had become the best of friends, almost like brothers in a way.

"Shit... that sucks man. I'm sorry," he replied sympathetically.

Randy nodded, "Thanks. I really don't know what I'm going to do about this baby, Dave. I mean, I know I've got to take care of it, but I don't know how. I don't even *know* the woman! I just don't know what to do..."

"I'll tell you what you can do," a new voice called. Dave and Randy glanced in the direction of the doorway, both men watching in silence as Paul Levesque stepped into the room. "You pay up every month like you're supposed to, and you'll never have to see the bitch or the kid again." Randy kept his eyes locked on Paul's, sending him a confused look.

"What about the baby?" he asked incredulously. Paul scoffed, tossing his head in the air arrogantly. 

"The baby? What the fuck about it?" he asked, in a tone just as amazed as Randy's.

"Paul, whether or not I planned on it, this kid is mine. I can't *not* be a part of its life, especially when its mother made it clear today that she wanted me to be involved," Randy said. Paul shook his head.

"You weren't careful with this chick. You fucked up... but everyone makes mistakes. You shouldn't have to be penalized for making a common mistake," he replied simply.

_Common mistake? Since when was knocking someone up a common mistake? _ Randy stared at Paul in absolute disbelief. He had always known Paul to be a sort of heartless person, but this was taking things a little far. As much as Paul refused to believe the thought, Randy just *knew* his recent bitterness was a result of his wedding, or lack thereof, to Stephanie McMahon.

"What the hell, Paul? How can you talk about a baby - a living, breathing, yet *unborn* baby - like it's some sort of punishment?" he asked, wearing an expression of shock. Paul, conversely, wore a smug, tight smirk.

"Oh please, Randy... don't pull that mushy shit with me. Let's be honest here... you don't *want* that baby, do you?" he asked, cocking a brow. Randy's gaze dropped to the floor, immediately locking there as he contemplated Paul's question. As horrible as it sounded, it was true... Randy didn't want that baby.

"I... I... no..." he admitted, his head hanging in shame. _God, I'm horrible, _ he scolded himself. 

Paul's smirk remained ever present on his face. He glanced from Dave - who had all the while been watching with wide eyes - and back to Randy. He walked over to the young man, patting him gently on the shoulder. He laughed quietly, heading towards the door. The Game stopped just as he was about to exit the room, turning to Orton and speaking once more before leaving.

"I rest my case."

LATER THAT NIGHT

Chris exhaustedly drug himself into his hotel room, letting the door click shut behind him before tossing his keycard to the table in the living room. He dropped his bag to the floor, not planning on changing his clothes again for bed. As tiring as being a WWE Superstar was, Chris couldn't remember a time in his life where he had been so tired. He stumbled into the bedroom, his bloodshot eyes shooting open. A sudden alertness took over him as he saw that Stephanie was there, and she was awake. She was sitting on the edge of her bed - she had insisted that since they had no choice but to room together, they would have to have seperate beds - looking at what appeared to be a picture. As Chris got closer and closer to her, he realized that was exactly what it was.

"Steph?" he spoke softly, so as not to startle her.

He sat down on his own bed, facing her so that when Stephanie glanced up at him, they locked eyes. Without responding verbally, the brunette handed him the picture. Chris's tired eyes scanned the image carefully... it was a picture of Stephanie and Paul. Paul's arm was wrapped tightly around Steph's shoulder, and they looked so happy that Chris almost wanted to throw up. The smirk on Paul's face made him want to rip up the photo and burn it right then and there. Thankfully, he restrained himself to a mere grimace. Before Chris could question her any further, Stephanie decided to just explain it for him.

"I, um... just looking back. I couldn't sleep, so I was looking through old pictures, and that happened to be one of them. Looking at it just brings back memories, I guess," she explained absently.

Chris gazed at her, a warmth and compassion filling his eyes. He thought back to a few weeks ago when Adam and Jay told him he had to tell Stephanie how he felt. Two weeks had since passed and not a word of Chris's feelings had made way to Stephanie's ear. As he watched the young woman stare sadly, yet almost fondly, at a picture of herself and her ex-fiancé, he felt his blood boiling. He decided that it was time. No more playing around, toying with the thought of letting her know how he felt... this was the real deal. If only he could think of what to say. iGreat,/i he thought to himself. _Now is so not the time to chicken out._

"Stephanie, I love you," he blurted, his face turning red as quickly as he had gotten the words out. Stephanie's head shot up upon hearing his statement, her jaw literally dropping.

"You... what?" she asked, clearly in a state of absolute shock. Chris kept his eyes locked on her, screaming at himself for just blurting out his emotions, but at the same time willing himself to stay strong and go with it. Stephanie deserved to hear the truth, for once.

"Steph, I... let me explain. I know that for the past month or so you've been down about your situation, and rightfully so. But Steph, what you don't understand is that I didn't help you out of the wedding with Paul and marry you just for the sake of helping out a friend... that was just my excuse," he explained, though it didn't do much for Stephanie. Her look of shock had since faded, but had been replaced with one of utter confusion.

"Chris, I... I don't understand," she said, looking up at him. When her pale eyes met his ice blue ones, Stephanie shuddered at the intensity - yet tenderness - in them.

"Steph, I meant what I said... I love you. I've always loved you, even though it was at some times from afar. Once you and I started talking, I just fell even deeper. You amaze me Stephanie... your strength and willpower is something I have never seen anyone have. So basically, I didn't marry you only to help you get away from your father and Paul. I really love you... and I always will," he said truthfully. 

The warmness in his tone on top of the sincerity in his eyes caused Stephanie's own eyes to well up with tears. As soon as he saw the brunette's tears, Chris jumped up, hopping over and sitting down next to her on her bed. _Shit, what did I do?!  _he thought frantically.

"Steph, honey, I don't want you to cry! What's wrong, what did I say?"he asked worriedly, running his hand up and down her arm soothingly. Sniffling, Stephanie shook her head, glancing up at him with a small smile.

"No, I'm not upset," she assured him, laughing quietly. 

_Please,_ she thought to herself, _Upset is the *last* thing I am right now._ Hearing Chris's confession lifted her spirits in a way she didn't think possible. He loved her - not for her name, not for her money, not for sex - for *her*. He truly, honestly loved her, and they hadn't even shared so much as a kiss.

"I just... I'm happy. I know now..." she said, a faraway, dreamy gaze taking over her eyes as she trailed off. Chris let out a sigh of relief, but raised an eyebrow.

"What do you know?" he questioned curiously. Stephanie laughed again, reaching out and tentatively brushing away a strand of hair that had escaped his ponytail.

"What it's like to be loved."

**Hope you guys are still enjoying it… you know what to do!**


	21. Part 21

PART 21

A WEEK LATER

Adam stood by the bar in a noisy, crowded nightclub, sipping a beer and talking to Kurt Angle. The two men weren't really all that big of dancers, at least not to songs like 'Hot in Herre.' So, they merely stood at the bar, laughing and talking as they watched their friends goof off on the dance floor.

"They're certainly growing on each other, aren't they?" Kurt said, drawing Adam's gaze away from the dance floor. 

He turned to face his bald friend, sending him a questioning look. Then, he noticed that Kurt was gesturing behind him, so he turned to see just what he was looking at. Once he had turned halfway around, he noticed that Stephanie and Chris were sitting by themselves at a table towards the back. Adam smiled as he watched Chris reach out and brush away a few strands of Stephanie's hair away from her face, tenderly running his finger down her cheek. If it had been anyone else, Adam would have wanted to vomit, but because of how much he knew the couple had been through just to be together, it was heartwarming. Chris and Stephanie were finally beginnging to be more open and public about their displays of affection, and just about everyone was taking notice...

Including Paul Levesque.

What made Adam, and the rest of his friends for that matter, even happier about the situation was how angry it made Paul. Getting stood up at the alter by Stephanie McMahon turned Levesque into even more of a bitter individual than he was before. Nobody talked to him anymore, with the exception of his Evolution buddies Flair, Orton, and Batista, and even they seemed to be slowly shying away from him. If Adam hadn't known him better, he'd almost feel sorry for him. But, he *did* know Paul, and he knew what kind of rotten excuse for a human he was, so Adam didn't feel sorry in the least as he sat back and watched all of the 'hard work' Paul had done to get to the top blow up in his face. He deserved everything he got after all he put Stephanie through.

"So Adam, what's going on with you and Trish?" Kurt asked suddenly, out of the blue. Adam shook his head. No matter how much he tried to play it down, his friends would *never* get off of his back about Trish.

"Well, to be honest Kurt, I have no idea," he said honestly. "I mean, I've hardly talked to Trish at all lately. It just seems like I was almost closer to her when she was still *with* Orton. I can understand that she probably doesn't want to be around too many guys right now, but..."

"But you miss her already," Kurt finished for him, smiling knowingly. "Adam, there's one simple solution for this." Adam frowned, glancing over at Kurt and shaking his head.

"No... I'm not telling her. Not yet. I can't put that on her now, after she's just getting out of her relationship with Randy. It just has to wait," he explained. 

Kurt nodded perceptively... Adam's reasoning was logical. He supposed that the Canadian didn't want to be merely a rebound fling for Trish, and wanted to wait until he was positive she was over Randy Orton. The only problem with that was, Kurt wasn't so sure that was *ever* going to happen. A small grin formed on his face, as he decided he would just have to help the two along. He wasn't going to push much, but just enough to get their friendship rolling again.

"You know what?" he said, a mischievous gleam in his eye. "I'll be right back."

With that said, he left Adam standing at the bar. Adam watched curiously as Kurt sauntered over to where their friends were mingling and dancing, tap Trish on her shoulder, and then say something into her ear. Then, he turned and left her, walking over to the front of the club, where Adam lost him the sea of people. He could only imagine what his bald friend was up to, and when he saw Trish approaching him, he knew it was no good. He put on a smile as Trish walked up to him, wondering what in hell Kurt said to her.

"Hey," she called cheerfully, placing a hand on his arm. "Kurt said you wanted to talk to me." 

Adam's stomach dropped as his gaze shot out to where he had last seen Kurt. That bastard... he set him up. _When I get my hands on that Olympic ass I'm going to kill him,_ he thought silently. He looked back at Trish, sending her a nervous smile.

"Yeah... I... um..."

"Hey, listen!" Trish called, pointing to the speakers on the ceiling. Adam glanced up at the speakers, listening as he recognized the song being played as 'Open Arms' by Journey. He and Trish had always both been huge fans of the band. "Wanna dance?"

"Uh... sure," he said, hesitantly at first. 

He took Trish's hand and allowed her to lead him to the dance floor, where the two met up with their friends. As he wrapped his arms around her slender waist, he glanced over and saw Chris and Stephanie joining everyone. Chris winked at him, gesturing to the woman Adam was standing with. Adam grinned and shook his head, his eyes darting around the club. Where the hell was Kurt? He knew he was responsible for this. Sure enough, when he found him, Kurt's eyes were locked on the two of them, and when he met Adam's green eyes, he gave him a thumbs up. _I need some new friends, _Adam muttered to himself, even though he was secretly very thankful for Kurt's bold actions. He gazed back down at Trish, smiling as their eyes met.

"I haven't talked to you in forever," he noted.

_We sailed on together_

_We drifted apart_

_And here you are by my side_

"I know," she agreed. "I'm sorry Adam, it's just that I've been... kind of like a hermit lately. I haven't really talked to anyone. It's... it's been a little rough." Adam nodded solemnly as the two swayed back and forth to the music.

"I'm sure it has Trish. I didn't mean it like that. I just miss talking to you, you know? But I do understand that it's been hard... just remember that I'm always here for you," he said honestly. 

Trish glanced up at him, noting the seriousness in his gaze. Being around Adam again made her wonder why she had avoided being around him and all of her other friends in the first place. They were what really mattered... and after all, she couldn't mope around about Randy for the rest of her life. She sent Adam a small, gracious smile, moving in closer and hugging him tightly.

"I know that Adam," she said, resting her head on his chest, "and you have no idea how thankful I am." Adam smiled at her response, wrapping his arms securely around her.

_So now I come to you_

_With open arms_

_Nothing to hide_

_Believe what I say_

_So here I am_

_With open arms_

_Hoping you'll see_

_What your love means to me_

_Open arms_

Adam all of a sudden got butterflies in his stomach, ones he hadn't experienced in weeks. Being this close to Trish sent him a reminder of how strong his feelings for her really were. He knew he gotten himself way deeper than just a crush now. He had somehow managed to fall in love with her, and there was no stopping that now. He realized that now more than ever, it was time...

"Trish?" he called, watching as she pushed herself back enough to look up at him.

"Yeah?"

"I... I have to tell you something," he said, his voice slightly shaky. He felt his hands literally trembling, and he wanted nothing more than to pull them off of her waist, only they felt as though they were glued there.

"Okay... what is it?" she asked, sending him a curious gaze.

Adam knew as soon as he responded that there was no way he would be able to respond in words. His mouth was suddenly dry as ashes, and he found his knees feeling like putty. Still, it was too late to turn back now. He had to do something. So, he did the only thing that came to his mind...

He leaned down, and he kissed her.

**Heey! Hope you guys are still into this!!  I wonder how you think Trish will react… LOL, let me know!!**


	22. Part 22

PART 22

Trish couldn't help but jump when Adam kissed her, as she was obviously taken aback by his actions. After merely standing there, dumbfounded, for a moment, Trish threw her arms around Adam's neck, kissing him back deeply. She clinged to him tightly as she poured everything she had into their kiss. her mind hazed over slightly as she enjoyed the feeling of once again being in someone's arms. The feeling she was having in her stomach was one she hadn't felt in a long time, and she loved it. When their kiss broke, Trish opened her eyes, gasping at what she saw . It wasn't Adam she saw standing before her...

It was Randy.

It was that she had been kissing Randy the whole time, or that he and Adam had magically switched places. Adam was still standing in front of her, a bright smile spread on his face, but she hadn't *wanted* to be kissing him. Trish realized that the only real reason she kissed Adam back was because deep down, she had been hoping that somehow he could transform into Randy. She smiled weakly, all of a sudden feeling blasted by guilt. Noticing the uneasy look on her pretty face, Adam frowned.

"What's wrong?" he asked, wrapping his arm her shoulder and praying that it didn't have to do with him. 

Gazing up into his eyes, it was clear to Trish that Adam's heart was in that kiss. It hadn't been a spur of the moment thing for him, but something that he had been wanting to do for a long while. She had always known that Adam cared for her, but up until that moment she had no idea that he was interested in taking things a step forward.

"Adam, I..." she began, trailing off shortly after.

She needed to tell him the truth about how she felt before he got in over his head, but that wasn't going to be an easy thing to do. She loved Adam dearly, but she had always felt that they were like brother and sister... nothing more. The more she thought about it, Trish realized that she probably *could* have loved Adam in a romantic sense had she never met and fallen for Randy Orton. Despite the fact that she hated him at the moment, and despite the fact that she was the one who initially broke up with him, Trish was still completely head over heels in love with him. She couldn't play Adam like that... it wouldn't be fair for either of them if she were to drag him along. Taking Adam's hand in hers, Trish frowned.

"I... I'm sorry," she said solemnly, immediately looking away.

Feeling the lump that would inevitably be followed by tears forming in throat, Trish did the only thing she could think of at the moment... she blinked back the tears and ran. Breaking free of his grasp, the blonde diva took off, pushing her way through the mob of people, the mere thought of stopping not even registering in her mind until she was all the way out the door. Once she was outside, she slowed up her pace, coming to a halt. She leaned up against the wall, slumping down against it. Now she was more confused than ever before. She buried her face in her hands, sighing loudly as she desperately fought back the tears threatening her eyes.

*                      *                      *                      *                      *

Back inside the club, Adam stood in the center of the dancefloor, his mouth hanging open in shock. He couldn't believe what had just happened. Not only had he finally gotten up the nerve to kiss Trish, but she *actually* kissed him back. Things seemed to be going perfectly... and then she ran away. The Canadian wasn't sure what to make of the situation, but he already regretted it. The thought occurred to him that there was a possibility that she ran out of fear, or out of confusion, and that temporarily comforted him. But then he thought of other explanations... what if she just didn't feel the same way? Not only would he have his heart broken, but their friendship would never be the same again. There was no way he could take back what he had done.

From a short distance away, Kurt Angle's stomach dropped. Adam was going to kill him. He slowly approached his friend, instantly feeling guilty for going up to the DJ and requesting that song be played. He hesitantly tapped Adam on the shoulder, a consoling look on his face and he rested his hand on his shoulder.

"Adam, I'm sorry... I didn't know that..."

"Yeah, I'm sure you didn't. Thanks a lot Kurt," Adam cut him off. 

Kurt frowned, not so much at the bitterness in his tone, but how absently he had said the words. The hurt in his eyes was so clear that Kurt felt a pang of hurt himself. The Olympic Gold Medalist opened his mouth to speak, only to find that Adam had walked away. He looked up to see him making his way toward the entrance of club. Kurt figured he was going after Trish, and at this point, wasn't sure whether that was a good or bad thing. Shaking his head sadly, he cursed himself for getting involved in his friend's business.

Adam headed out of the club, not sure where he was going. He walked to one side of the club, freezing when he saw Trish sitting on the ground. When she didn't lift her head, he figured that she had no idea he was even there. He stood there for a minute, debating on whether or not he should go over to her and explain his actions to her. She deserved to hear him out, even if what he had to say wasn't what she expected or wanted to hear. He took a step in her direction, but then his insecurity got the best of him, and he choked. He turned away from her, making his way out into the parking lot in search of his car. In the back of his mind, he knew he had driven Jay to the club as well... his best friend would just have to find another ride back to the hotel. His head hanging low, Adam sauntered out in the lot, his mind a blur of thoughts. He reached into his pocket, pulling out his car keys when he reached his car. As he went to press the automatic unlock button, the keys slipped from his loose grasp, dropping to the paved ground below him. Sighing, he bent down to pick them up, pausing as he saw a pair of feet level with his eyes. He stood slowly, his green eyes widening curiously as he saw Paul Levesque standing before him, a smirk on his face.

A/N: Okay guys… I've been getting a lot of mixed opinions on who Trish should end up with, and how she should end up there.  Normally, I don't do this, but I've decided to just make a poll and let you guys decide what's gonna happen.  To vote on the poll, go to my site Double Reality (the link's in my user profile) and click Polls in the Navigation column… the poll will be up shortly. It should only take you a few seconds to vote, and I'd really appreciate it!


	23. Part 23

A/N:  Just a side note for when you get down to the second part of this chapter… I'm honestly not a fan of Stephanie's writing… LOL, but for the sake of the story, we'll pretend. You'll understand what I mean when you get there. =) Keep reviewing guys, and thanks for the poll votes!!

PART 23

Adam glanced into the eyes of the World Heavyweight Champion in disgust... of all the people to run into at a time like this. Shaking his head, the Canadian made a move to go around him, deciding that he just wasn't going to put up with any crap, not tonight. However, Paul put an arm up, grabbing a hold of him and refusing to let him pass.

"Alright, what do you want, Paul?" he asked.

Paul could practically smell the disdain Adam held towards him as he kept a firm grip on his shoulder. He smirked haughtily, his eyes locking intensely with the green pair in front of him.

"Before you jump the gun, I'll have you know that I'm only here to help," he replied, releasing his grip slightly. Adam shrugged out of the burly man's now loose grasp, sending him a look of disbelief.

"I wasn't aware that I was in need of any help," he remarked dryly.

"I think you are," Paul said seriously, stepping backwards and leaning up against Adam's car. "And I'm just the guy for the job. I know that you and I aren't what one would call friends - or even aquaintences, for that matter - but I do believe we could become of great benefit to one another." Crossing his arms in front of his chest, Adam eyed Paul speculatively.

"Just what are you getting at?" he asked cautiously, wanting to kick himself for even *allowing* a conversation with a man like Levesque last this long.

"You want Trish, don't you?" Paul asked. Raising an eyebrow, Adam nodded.

"And?" he challenged.

"*And*, I'd be more than willing to help you get her... if you'll help me with getting..."

"Paul, you and Stephanie are done. If you think I'm going to help you steal her from Chris - who, need I remind you is one of my best friends - you're out of your damn mind," Adam cut him off. He had always thought of Levesque as a little crazy, but he had really gone off the deep end if he thought he would go along with this.

"It's not about Stephanie. I could care less about that no good little bitch," Paul replied harshly, though the bitterness in his tone signaled otherwise. "Now, if you'd kindly shut the fuck up, I'd love to explain this whole thing to you." Rolling his eyes, Adam reluctantly agreed.

"Fine, but make it quick. I don't have all night." A small, almost unnoticeable smirk of satisfaction crept its way onto Paul's face as he nodded.

"As I was saying, I'd be plenty willing to help you out with Trish... if, that is, you're willing to help me get Randy back," he explained. Adam sent him a puzzled look.

"Excuse me?" he asked. "What do you mean help you get Randy back?"

"Look, Randy's  been moping around about Trish for over a month now and to be honest, I'm getting fucking sick of it. I want the Evolution Randy - the *real* Randy - back. The way I see it, if Trish moves on and finds someone new, he'll have no other choice but to get the hell over her. NOw, I've got plenty of ideas on how to make this plan work, but it'd be a hell of a lot quicker and easier if I had your help. What do you say?" he asked hopefully. Adam stood in silence for a moment, and he appeared to Paul to be deep in thought. 

"You know what?" Adam spoke up after a minute or two, causing Paul to glance up expectantly. "I think I'll take my chances with Trish."

With that said, he turned his back to Levesque, strolling around to the opposite side of the car, sticking the key in and unlocking the door. He got inside, slamming the door shut behind him, unsure if the force he put into shutting it was natural or because of the anger he was feeling at the moment. Paul sighed, shaking his head as he slowly made his way to the other side of the car. He reached out and tapped lightly on the window, catching Adam's attention before he had a chance to slip the key in the ignition. He turned his head slowly, scowling as he rolled down the window.

"What?" he asked testily.

"I saw what happened in there, Adam. Do you really think you have a shot with Trish after the shit you just pulled?" Paul inquired, leaning down and sticking his head in the window.

"Okay, so maybe I made a mistake kissing her like that, but that doesn't in any way mean..."

"Yeah, Copeland, it does. Face the facts, man. Just admit it... you want my help. If I'm man enough to admit that I need your help, you should be able to do the same," Levesque interrupted, staring down Adam intensely. 

Adam returned the glare, but at the same time, he found himself seriously contemplating, even iconsidering/i Paul's suggested plan. It was wrong, it was against everything he believed in... but it could work. As much as Adam was repulsed at the mere thought of Levesque, the man had a way of getting exactly what he wanted. The risk of working with him had a chance of being worth it. Besides, there was no actualy harm in simply hearing him out, right? Taking a deep breath, Adam found the door handle, opening it and motioning for Paul to step back. He stood and faced him, locking eyes with him as he spoke.

"What exactly did you have in mind?"

THE NEXT NIGHT

Chris yawned as he entered the hotel room he was sharing with Stephanie. He tossed his keycard onto a nearby table and headed into the room in search of the brunette.

"Steph?" he called, raising an eyebrow when he didn't find her in the living room or the bedroom.

Then, he heard a sound like running water, and Chris paused, listening in carefully. Sure enough, the shower in the bathroom was running. Breathing a sigh that could only be described as one of relief, Chris sauntered over to the bed, sitting down on it and settling back against the headboard. He grabbed the remote and switched the TV on, flipping aimlessly through the channels to pass the time until Stephanie got out of the shower.

About five minutes later, the water stopped and Chris heard the sound of the shower curtain swinging open. He tossed his legs off the side of the bed, his gaze shifting to the bathroom door as he watited for his wife to emerge. The minutes passed by slowly, and when the tiny strip of light shining underneath the door disappeared and Stephanie *still* didn't come out, he began to grow a little worried. His brow cocking slightly, he stood, slowly heading over to the bathroom. He tapped lighting on the door, pressing his ear up against it as he heard a small, almost inaudible sound. It sounded like... almost like a sniffle. His brow furrowing in concern, Chris graipped the knob gently and opened the door, gasping softly at what he discovered...

She was crying.

Upon hearing the door open, Stephanie's head snapped down, her eyes locking with the floor. She was sitting on the edge of the tub, a white towel wrapped securely around her. She looked absolutely beautiful - almost angelic - to Chris, and he couldn't help but gawk at her for a moment or two, but his concern for her overpowered his desire when she looked up and he saw the tears that had filled her eyes. He shook all such thoughts out of his mind, dropping to his knees at her side. He rested one hand on her thigh, the other gently coming up to brush the tears off of her freshly washed face.

"Hey... what's wrong?" he asked softly, moving his hand to the bare section of her back. Sniffling again, Stephanie simply shook her head.

"Nothing, nothing. I'm find Chris, really. I've just been thinking, and I got a little overemotional... don't worry," she assured him, failing miserably at her attempt to  send him a reassuring smile. Chris's gaze didn't falter for a minute, and the blonde man didn't believe for a second that a word of what Stephanie said was true.

"Stephanie," he said in a tone so serious it almost sounded stern. "What is it?" Shaking her head silently, Stephanie rubbed the remaining tears from her eyes, thankful that she was no longer wearing any makeup.

"I'm fine Chris, don't worry... I'm fine," she said.

"Did something happen?" Chris asked, his heart beginning to ache at see her so distraught and not being able to do a damn thing about it. Stephanie drew her gaze over to him, her watery eyes meeting his.

"Well, yes and no. See, today, I was working, when I get a call from an executive at UPN. They say my creative abilities are awesome, and since the ratings have been going up, they tell me if I keep up the great work, I'll be one of the main reasons Smackdown is kept on the air. I've never been so excited about something, Chris. I was so proud of myself, I practically jumped out of my seat to run and tell someone... that's when I realized that I don't *have* anyone to tell. That's the kind of thing I'd want to tell my father, and it's almost like I don't have one. I went from feeling so ecstatic that someone had finally recognized me, to feeling so lonely and empty. I'm finally starting to realize it, Chris... I don't have a family," she explained, her voice staying surprisingly strong despite how crushed she had to be feeling.

"Stephanie, that's not true... sure, your relationship with your father has pretty much disentregated to nothing, but that's his fault, and *his* loss. You've still got your mother, and you know that Shane is..."

"Is my brother whom I never see because he's either working in Connecticut or at home in New York," Stephanie cut him off, shaking her head. "I hate to sound so bitter, but you don't understand, Chris. All any girl wants to do is please her father. I've tried so hard my entire life to make him proud of me, only to find out that that is just impossible. I just... I just wanted to make my Daddy happy, and now he despises me! My own ifather/i doesn't love me." 

The tears instantly sprang back to her eyes, her words becoming choked with sobs as she buried her head in her knees. Chris jumped up, moving from the floor to the edge of the tub next to her. He wrapped a consoling arm around her shoulder, wincing as he felt just how badly she was shaking. He pulled her to him, hugging her tightly, allowing her damp hair to drape over his arm as he softly stroked her hair. He couldn't even begin to imagine how awful Stephanie must have been feeling. Chris had always had quiet a close relationship with his father Ted, and the thought alone of not having a father like his to share moments and create memories with absolutely frightened him. As he held Stephanie, Chris tried putting himself in the shoes of Vince McMahon, or any father for that matter. He couldn't comprehend how black a man's heart would have to be in order to act so coldly towards his own daughter.

"Hey, are you... are you okay?" he asked, a slight hesitance in his tone.

Glancing up at him, Stephanie gripped her towel and moved closer to him, not wanting to leave the comfort and refuge of his embrace, even if it was only temporary.

"I'll be okay, Chris. It's just that sometimes I get a little lonely... like nobody loves me," she explained.

She hoped that she hadn't come across as begging for sympathy, because that wasn't at all what she was aiming for. She just wanted to have someone who knew, someone to *understand* how she felt.

"Stephanie," Chris replied, brushing some of the loose hair awar from her face, "*I* love you."

Stephanie met his blue eyes, the tender and loving gaze in them more than enough to convince her. Chris found himself having trouble swallowing, an anxious feeling rising from the depths of his stomach. Before his heard could relay the message to his brain, Chris tilted her chin up and placed his lips on hers, kissing her for the first time. Stephanie closed her eyes, a soft sigh emitting from her lips as she kissed him back, her hand coming up to cup the back of his neck. The apprehensiveness slowly difted out of Chris's system, a wave of relief washing over him as he took notice to how eagerly she was returning the kiss. He had once again confessed to Stephanie that he loved her...

And if she still didn't believe it, then he would just have to show her.


	24. Part 24

PART 24 

Chris's hand curled around the back of Stephanie's neck, pulling her to him as his tongue slowly delved into her mouth, deeply exploring it as his free hand came down to rest on her hip. Stephanie wrapped her arms around his neck, sealing off the minimal distance between them. She sighed softly into his mouth, the sound being muffled as their lips pressed together. Chris rose from the floor, pulling Stephanie along with him, his hands sliding down her slim waist. She jumped as he slid his warm hands underneath the bottom of her towel, his fingers in direct contact with her butt. Giving it a gentle squeeze, he couldn't help but smile at the tiny whimper escaping her lips as a result. He broke the kiss, chuckling softly to himself as his lips found her neck, brushing against it gently. Stephanie tossed her head back a little and sighed, a shiver running down her spine as Chris's lips and tongue danced over her neck, just below her earlobe. Her fingers moved down his back, sliding under the hem of his t-shirt. She was so entranced, so caught up in the moment, that she didn't notice her towel slowly loosening itself from her body. Within a few seconds, it dropped to the floor, pooling at her feet and leaving her completely naked in front of him.

From the corner of his eye, Chris noticed the white material falling to the ground. He pulled away, taking a step back and looking her over. His eyes lit up at the sight of her, so open - yet so vulnerable - standing there in front of him. The second Stephanie realized what had happened, her cheeks flushed, and she placed her arms in front of her in an attempt to cover herself. Chris reached out, taking a hold of her arm and moving it out of the way, taking a step closer to her. 

"Don't cover yourself, Stephanie. You're way too beautiful to hide," he whispered into her ear, his breath still caught in his throat.

Stephanie glanced up, the color of her cheeks growing a little less rosy as she met his eyes. He stared at her intensely, but the feeling she got was different than any she had felt with Paul. The look Chris was giving her didn't make her feel violated or dirty... in fact, it did just the opposite. The appreciativeness in his eyes, the look of wonder and awe on his face made her feel just as he said... beautiful. A small smile formed on her face, and her arms became less tense. She placed her hand on Chris's side, pulling him closer to her and wordlessly pressing her lips to his again. His hands traveled over her body, examining every curve, every inch of her smooth skin. Stephanie bit her lip as she felt him growing hard against her leg. She boldly reached out, cupping him firmly in her hand, giving a soft laugh of her own as he gasped in surprise.

Smiling to herself, Stephanie released her grip, sliding her hands underneath the front of his t-shirt, her fingers playing with the solid muscle on his stomach before she pushed it up and over his head. She let go of the thin shirt, dropping it to the floor beside her towel. She glanced up at him, their eyes meeting again. Their gaze held steady, and Stephanie could plainly see the love and affection melting with the desire in his telling eyes. Chris smiled when she returned the look to him, signaling to him that she wanted it just as badly as he did. He leaned down, capturing her lips with his again. He could hear and feel the throaty sigh coming from her, and he knew he had to get out of the bathroom. He wanted to do things right, and there was no way he could just take her on the bathroom floor. Reluctantly, he broke the kiss, taking Stephanie by the hand and leading her into the bedroom.

"Steph," he said softly, stopping in front of the bed and facing her. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life," she replied, giving him a reassuring smile before kissing him again.

Stephanie poured her heart into that kiss, the connection between the two of them purely electrifying, chilling her to the bone. Chris nudged her forward with his hips, laying her down on the bed and propping himself on top of her, all the while still kissing her passionately. He paused, his head popping up as he took a moment to catch his breath. While doing so, his gaze traveled down, lingering over her body, his mouth gaping open in amazement and awe. His head shook slightly as he wondered what in hell he did to make the man upstairs like him so much as to give him the beautiful woman before him. He kissed her again, softly sucking on her bottom lip, his hands continuing to explore her body, taking over where his eyes had left off. Then, he felt a small pair of hands cupping around his face, and Chris reluctantly pulled his lips from hers.

"Chris?" she spoke, the confidence - though there were traces of hesitance mixed in - bringing a smile to his face as he raised his brow as though to question her. "Make love to me."

The grin remained present on his lips as he pressed his forehead to hers, his heart bursting with joy at her request. Their eyes locked intensely, and to Chris, it felt as though time had frozen, and they were the only two people in the entire world. Before he had a chance to answer, Stephanie reached down to his waist, carefully tugging at his pants, pulling his boxers down as well. Taking a deep, steady breath, Chris hovered over her, kissing her tenderly and whispering softly as he entered her.

"Nothing would make me happier."

A FEW HOURS LATER 

Stephanie lie awake in bed, her head resting against Chris's chest. She breathed deeply, the rhythmic sound of his beating heart lulling her, but not putting her to sleep. She was too elated to sleep. The thought of their coupling made her giddy, and it was all she could do not to jump up and squeal. Never before in her life had she experienced being with a man so fulfilling, yet gentle at the same time. Craning her neck, she glanced up at Chris, who had at least twenty minutes ago drifted into a deep sleep. Smiling to herself, she inched herself up, planting a tiny kiss on the tip of his nose, her own secret way of thanking him for showing her the meaning of the word love. Just as her pursed lips pulled away from his face, Stephanie heard a noise, a quiet rapping on their hotel room door.

She lifted her head from the pillow, turning her attention to the other side of the room. She waited in silence, raising an eyebrow when she heard the noise again. Who, in their right mind, would knock on their door so late at night? Resting her head back onto the pillow, Stephanie debated on whether or not she should get up to answer it, as - judging by his steady breathing - Chris didn't appear to be getting up any time soon. Stephanie sighed as she heard the tapping for a third time, this time louder than the previous two. She pulled the sheets off of herself, shivering as she became acutely aware of her nudity. She hurried across the room to her robe, which was laying over top of the chair she had rested it on before her bath. Pulling it on hastily and loosely tying the sash around her waist, she hurried to the door, hoping to get there before the sound stirred Chris out of his slumber.

When she reached the door, Stephanie jingled the locks around, sliding them open and grasping the doorknob, twisting it and pulling the door open. She glanced up to see who had interrupted them, gasping when she was met with a pair of light blue eyes.

"Stephanie, I know it's late, and I know you're going to think I'm crazy, but I need to talk to you," the person said.  

The brunette eyed them with confusion… as if it wasn't odd enough to have someone knock on your door in the middle of the night, it was _him?_   He had never expressed any interest in talking to her before, and that was when she was around him on a daily basis.  Suddenly finding herself curious, Stephanie nodded, tucking her robe more securely around herself as she took a step into the hallway.

"Okay… what is it, Randy?"

A/N: I'm *so* sorry it's been such a long time since the last update, but (if you've been to my site recently you probably already know) I've had a terrible case of writer's block as of late.  Let's hope this is the end of it!  Let me know what you think!


	25. Part 25

PART 25  
  
"What is it Randy?" Stephanie repeated, stepping out into the hall and closing the door behind her.  
  
Randy eyed the young woman in silence for a moment, watching as her mouth steadily dropped open in a tired yawn. He felt incredibly guilty for having come to her so late at night - especially given the fact that the two were far from friends - but at the same time, he knew that if he didn't get out of bed and march to her room to speak with her, he'd never get to sleep.  
  
"I'm sorry to bother you Steph, but I've got something on my mind - it's been there a lot recently - and I need to talk to you about it," he replied.  
  
"I'm pretty sure you've already said that much," Stephanie quipped with a short laugh. "Now, what exactly do you need to talk to me about?"  
  
Taking a step back, Randy's brow arched questioningly. Stephanie was being awfully friendly, despite their not so amicable relationship. Then again, Paul Levesque had always been the root of their issues with each other... with him out of Steph's life for good, it was possible that she was willing to forgive and forget.  
  
"Sorry," he replied, his lips curling in a somewhat bashful grin. "It's just that I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, and I've come to some really important conclusions about my life. The thing is, I think I need your help getting there." A puzzled look crossing her face, Stephanie nodded tentatively.  
  
"Me?" she asked, pointing towards herself. "How could I be of any help to you?"  
  
"Okay, let me explain this to you. Ever since Trish and I broke up, I've really put my life - moreover, my lifestyle - into perspective, and I've realized that I hate myself. The drinking, the partying, the women, all the elements of being a part of Evolution... that's not me, it's not what I want. I didn't want to get some woman pregnant and have her want me to have nothing to do with the child. I didn't want to throw away the best relationship I've ever had. Ten years from now, I don't want to turn to see Paul Levesque standing beside me. He's not who I want to see," he explained.  
  
Stephanie nodded perceptively, taking a long, deep breath, as though she were carefully ingesting each word of his elaboration.  
  
"Who *do* you want to see?" she asked curiously, placing a hand on her hip.  
  
"Well..." Randy began, the apprehension practically glowing around him. "I... I want to see Trish."  
  
Although that had been the response she was anticipating from Orton, Stephanie's eyes still widened a bit. It wasn't that she surprised that he wasn't to be with Trish... it was that he was finally beginning to realize it.  
  
"I'm glad you're finally coming to grips with that, Randy, but I still don't understand how I'm going to be able to help you. I mean, you've dug yourself into a pretty deep hole as far as your relationship with Trish goes. I don't know if..."  
  
"It's not Trish I need your help with, Stephanie..." he cut her off, shaking his head, "...it's Paul. I know that Trish and I have a shot at working things out if I can prove that I love her. I think that if I distance myself from Paul, Ric, and Dave and break away from this Evolution thing, I'll be proving just that. Only problem is, I've gotten myself so far in with this that I don't know how to get out. That's where I need your help, Steph. If anyone knows how to break away from Paul, it's you. After the wedding stunt you pulled, he's completely backed off of you. That's what I need, Steph... I need you to help me get Paul off my back for good."  
  
A small smile touched Stephanie's face as she glanced over at Randy. She thought it adorable that he was coming to her for help. If anything, it further solidified in her heart that leaving Paul was the right thing to do. Reaching out to him, she gently touched his forearm.  
  
"Randy, I'd be more than happy to help you," she said, "but you've got to be absolutely sure this is what you want to do."  
  
"I'm positive," he replied, the determination in his voice more than convincing enough for her.  
  
"I have to do this, Stephanie. I have to get Paul out of my life, so I can actually start living it."  
  
* * * *  
  
Trish walked into a tiny cafe, the sound of bells jingling over top of her as she pushed the door open. Her eyes quickly scanned the room, surveying each booth and table in the nearly deserted place. Jay said she would find him here. Finally, after a brief moment of worry that she'd gone to the wrong place, she spotted him, sitting by himself in a booth all the way in the back. She made her way towards him, stopping abruptly about halfway there, as she seriously considered turning and running. Insisting to herself that this had to be done, Trish pressed on, stopping this time only when she reached his table.  
  
"Adam?" she questioned, snapping the blonde man out of his trance. "Can I sit? We need to talk." Sighing, he nodded, gesturing to the empty booth across from him, unable to just turn her away.  
  
"I'm still sorry," he mumbled, referring to the incident at the club. Trish frowned, noting the sincerity in his voice and wishing he hadn't felt so guilty.  
  
"I don't want our friendship to change," she said, voicing her concern. "I don't want things to be weird between us because of that kiss. But you also have to understand that this changes things, or at least knocks them a bit off course."  
  
"I know it does, Trish, and that's why I'm sorry," he replied.  
  
"Adam, I don't want you to be sorry. There's no use to be. You kissed me, it's all over with now. I just... I want you to understand how I feel about you, and I need to know the same from you," she requested. Adam waited a few moments, taking time to collect and organize his thoughts before verbalizing them to her.  
  
"Well, I know that kissing you was a mistake, but I don't regret doing it. If nothing else, it helped me to see how you feel about me, and it helped me see how I truly feel about you. I really do love you, Trish, but not in the way I had originally thought. I love hanging out with you, I love talking to you, and I love being around you, but I think that somewhere along the line those feelings got mixed up with my fear of being alone, and my desire for a committed relationship, and I tricked myself into thinking I'd fallen for you," he explained.  
  
Fact of the matter was, Adam came to that realization as he was contemplating whether or not he would agree to work with Paul. Once he realized that his feelings for Trish were being misinterpreted, he dropped all connections to him. Levesque was furious, but Adam didn't care. He should have known better than to think twice about associating with that loser anyway. Trish nodded, watching intently as he picked up the cup of coffee resting in front of him and took a long, slow sip. She smiled, reaching out across the table and taking his hand in hers.  
  
"It's such a relief to hear you say that. I love you too, Adam... you're like the brother I never had. You're truly my best friend, and I'm beyond glad that this won't become an issue that will jeopardize that friendship."  
  
Adam finally returned the grin, satisfied with the way their conversation had turned out. He gazed down at her for a moment, their eyes locking together. He knew then and there that they weren't meant to be. There was a definite feeling of love generating between the two of them, but it was strictly platonic. A giggle escaped Trish as the corniness of the situation settled in on her.  
  
"My god, are we dorks. It's three in the morning and we're sitting here, holding hands in some rundown cafe. Come on, let's get out of here," she suggested, standing up and tugging Adam along as well.  
  
"Yes ma'am," he replied with a chuckle, somehow managing to pull a few dollar bills out of his pocket and tossing them to the table before being yanked out of the building.  
  
After they disappeared, a figure emerged from the back, just by the bathrooms. Paul Levesque stepped out into the light, an incensed look on his face. With the idea of Trish and Adam as an item eliminated, he may as well send Randy packing. Once again, that Stratus bitch was throwing a serious wrench into his plans, and he was no longer going to put up with it.  
  
Hmm, no reviews last time huh? LOL, ah well... please send some for this chapter guys! Wanna make sure I haven't lost you!! 


	26. Part 26

**PART 26**

"What's wrong with you, Champ?" Ric Flair asked as he stepped into Evolution's locker room to find the Paul Levesque sitting down on the couch, a furious look in his eyes.

Glancing up at him, Paul snorted. Letting out an infuriated exhale, he raked a hand through his hair, nearly tugging on it in frustration.

"Fucking Trish Stratus, that's what's wrong with me!" he cried, jumping up off of the couch. "That stupid blonde bitch is ruining my plans _again_!"

"Woah, hold on a second there," Ric said, waving both hands at him in a sign for the Game to calm down. "What do you mean? She going at Randy again?"

"Not yet, but she will be," Paul replied, rolling his eyes in disgust at the thought of the Canadian diva. "She totally ruined the plan I had made with Adam Copeland, and I was *just* about to nail him into it! She told him she could only ever see him as a friend, and he agreed to it! The two of them are off being merry little best friends again, and I just _know_ she's gonna try and weasel her way back to Randy."

Ric nodded perceptively, taking a cautious step in the direction of Levesque, his eyes locked on the younger man. The disdain he held for Trish Stratus was practically dripping from him as he stood across from Flair, his hands balled into fists. A string of curses were muttered by the Champion as he plopped himself back down on the couch. He had to do *something* about her. There was no way he'd give Randy up again, not after he worked so hard to model the younger man after himself.

"We can stop this before it starts, you know," Ric spoke suddenly, temporarily snapping Paul out of his rage. He glanced up at the Nature Boy, eagerly waiting for him to continue. "All we have to do is make sure *we* get to Randy first. With my persuasion, and the influence you already have on him, it won't be long before all thoughts of Trish Stratus are nonexistent in his mind."

"That's cute Ric, but let's be honest. Randy thinks he's actually in love with this chick... it'll take a bit more than your persuasion, as convincing as it may be," Paul reminded him. 

He shuddered as the word 'love' rolled off his tongue. A thing such as love didn't exist, not in the world he knew. The fact that Randy - someone he took under his wing and gave the _privilege_ of his leadership to - could sit there and gawk over a whiny little brat like Trish ate Paul alive. Seeing him depressed and moping over the loss of her throughout the past few weeks was making him sick to his stomach.

"Well..." Ric began, cutting Paul's thoughts short once again. "What do you plan on doing about it?"

A sly, sadistic grin spread on the lips of Levesque, the evil in his eyes enough to scare away the darkest of any man. There were so many things he wanted to do to Trish Stratus, he could practically write a novel containing them. He looked up at Flair from his seat, grinning wildly at him.

"Oh, I've got plenty in store for Miss Stratus, that's for sure..." Paul responded with a laugh. 

Standing once more, he approached the elder man, leaning down and whispering his plans into his ear, making sure it was impossible for anyone to hear. When he was finished explaining his plan, he took a step back, waiting for some type of response. At first, Ric simply stared at him, and for a moment, Paul was worried that he wouldn't go for it. It was a bit extreme, even for himself, and he was a bit fretful that he wouldn't go along. A moment later, though, the seemingly perturbed look on Ric's face transformed into one of awe. He eyed Paul with reverence, amazed at the amount of guts he had to back up his brains.

"Paul, that's some serious stuff right there," he quipped with a laugh. "Are you sure you want to take it that far?"

"If I have to," Paul replied determinedly. "If she gets in my way, I'll just have to show her that you *don't* mess with Paul Levesque."

A barbarous grin spread across the lips of Ric Flair, and he extended his hand to Levesque, shaking it firmly as he used his free hand to pat him on the back. The two men stood in silence for a moment, both of them most likely contemplating Paul's suggested actions.

"You're a bad man, Champ. A very bad man," Ric spoke, matching the fiendish gleam in Paul's eyes with one of his own.

Paul laughed, nodding his head in agreement. The things he had in mind for Trish Stratus were wicked, to say the least, but she had it coming. Then, hearing a slight commotion out in the hall, Levesque turned his head, curiously glancing out the door. What he saw brought shock and malice to his eyes. Upon seeing the rancor in his stare, Ric turned around as well, eyes widening as he set his glance on the two people passing by the locker room.

"Ric..." Paul began, clenching his fists. "Are you seeing what I think I'm seeing?" His eyes still wide, Flair nodded slowly.

"If you're talking about Stephanie McMahon and Randy Orton... yes, that's what you're seeing."

*                      *                      *                      *

A few hours later, Randy Orton found himself hurrying through the halls, rushing about in a frantic search for Dave Batista. Tonight would mark the return of the muscular man to the WWE, after a near eight month rehab for his torn triceps. He had been desperately trying to find him, for more than one reason. Dave was his best friend, and it had been months since Randy had last seen him, so naturally, he was excited about seeing him again. But there was also a very deep concern for the young man about getting to Dave before Paul had a chance to. He just knew that Paul was going to snatch Dave up the second he got a chance to, and update him on what had been going on with *his* side of the story. He'd make it look like the issues surrounding him and Trish were all her fault, and turning another member of Evolution against her was not something Randy could afford.

A defeated sigh emenated from Randy as he checked another empty room. There was so much lying and sneaking around going on in their circle of friends and enemies at the moment. The deception, not knowing who he was able to trust, was driving him to the brink of insanity. To think of how his friendships and loyalties were changing with the weeks... he had gone from being all about Paul, Ric, and Evolution, to doing his best to distance himself from them at all times. He found himself relying on people like Stephanie McMahon, someone whom he *never* thought he'd befriend.

He was beginning to wish he'd never agreed to joining Evolution again in the first place. He should have listened to Trish when she'd expressed concern about him spending so much time with Levesque and Flair. It had cost him so much, the high profile lifestyle wasn't even worth it anymore.

Then, as he poked his head into the catering room, he caught a glimpse of Dave. His gaze brightened, and Randy jumped into the room, hurrying over to his friend. He froze when he saw that Dave was already deeply engulfed in a conversation with someone...

His stomach dropped as he realized that the someone was Paul Levesque.


	27. Part 27

**PART 27**

"No way!" Dave Batista cried, a look of both disgust and disbelief crossing his features. 

He dropped the plate he was holding onto the table in front of him and took a step back. His dark eyes fixed on Paul Levesque, a deep scowl forming on his lips. When the burly man had approached him a few moments earlier, Dave had mistakenly gotten the idea that Paul would be welcoming him back. After missing nearly eight months of action, one would think a man would miss one of his so called best friends. Of course, that would be below a man such as Levesque. After all, he was more than preoccupied with his own endeavors to give a damn about anyone else.

It had only been a matter of seconds into their conversation when he began asking for favors. It wasn't that Dave wasn't expecting to eventually be bombarded with, _'Now that you're back, I need you do this for me,'_ and, _'I'd really appreciate it if you'd do this,'_ but the nature of Paul's request was absolutely insane. 

He had heard a bit about the status of Evolution during his rehab, so he was partially informed of what was going on. He knew that Randy was slowly but surely drifting, that the youngest member of the stable had given up the partying and the drinking and had become virtually non-existent in the locker room. He also knew that all of Randy's distraction had to do with Trish Stratus. He had heard about their breakup from Randy himself, but didn't know just how badly Randy had been missing his ex-girlfriend until just a few moments ago, when Paul told him. His eyes narrowed as he thoughts once again managed to find themselves on the Game. 

During their brief conversation, Paul had gone out of his way to make Trish look like a jezebel, a gold digging whore who was out to tear them apart, and to steal Randy from them. Steal, as though he were a piece of property. Dave wouldn't put it past Paul to think of Randy in such a way. The man had no regard for any human life but his own, which he made clearly evident in his suggested idea of payback for what she was trying to do.

"What do you mean, no way?" Paul asked in disbelief, drawing Dave out of his cloud of thought. "Dave, I don't think you understand. She's out to ruin us! That bitch will tear us apart, unless we take action first."

"You're fucking delusional," Dave replied boldly, staring into his leader's cold, dark eyes. "What you just told me you wanted to do is way more than simply taking action, or whatever you like to call it. It's cold, it's heartless..."

"It's perfect," Paul interrupted, a cruel, sadistic smile forming on his smug face. "See, Dave, that's just the idea. The colder, the more ruthless, the better. I want that bitch out of the picture for good, I don't care how I have to do it."

For some reason, the viciousness in his eyes, and the cold, deathly serious tone in his voice, all scared the hell out of Batista. He took another step back, now regarding Paul with a look bordering disbelief and maybe even fear.

"Do you have a heart?" he inquired, willing to bet his entire life savings that the answer was no. "Trish is a sweetheart. I know you don't approve of her relationship with Randy, or the idea of them being together, but she's not out to get us, or anyone for that matter. She just loves Randy, and *we* would be the wrong ones for interfering. Besides, Paul, Randy is my best friend, and I will _not_ take part in something that would hurt not only the woman he loves, but him as well. I'm sorry, but I refuse to help you, especially when your ideas are not only disgusting, but illegal.

Paul snorted a laugh, turning his head to the side. When he drew his gaze back to Dave, all signs of amusement were gone, replaced with an icy, murderous glare. He sealed off the distance between them, bringing himself nose to nose with the larger man.

"Maybe you didn't hear me correctly. I *need* your help with this, Dave. Should you choose not to give me what I want, you can kiss your spot in Evolution, your giant push, and your entire _career_ goodbye. Think about it, Dave. Is it _really_ worth it? Is doing what you feel is right, defending the honor of your best friend, sticking up for Trish, is all of that more important than your life? I know how much your career means to you, Dave, and I could have you canned like that," he explained, finishing off with a snap of his fingers.

Dave scowled at Paul, cursing him for putting him in such a predicament. On one hand, there was Trish. The blonde woman did *nothing* to deserve what she was going to get. He knew there'd be no way he'd be able to sleep at night should he go along with Paul. She was so innocent, so naive to all the scheming and plotting that was being done against her. Just thinking about hurting her, the woman his best friend was head over heels in love with, made him want to vomit. The fact that Paul, or anyone for that matter, could come up with such a horrid idea sickened him.

On the other hand, there was, as Paul so conveniently reminded him, his career. He had been on top of the world before his unfortunate injury, when Evolution had been a fresh, new faction. Ric Flair and Triple H, the ultimate competitors of their respective eras, had specifically requested that Randy Orton and himself be put in with the group. He had caught their eyes enough for them to want *him* to join them. He was thrilled... in fact, thrilled was a huge understatement. Being placed into what was expected to be the most dominating force to hit Raw in a long time was a far cry from being dubbed 'Deacon Batista' and running around with a damn cash box. With the new friends, the new lifestyle, and the new career, he was on cloud nine... until his serious injury.

He couldn't put into words how aggravating the rehab for his torn tricep was, nor could he they explain the frustration in re-tearing it only a few months in. Seeing as how both he and Randy got injured during the same match and both would miss an extended period of action, WWE decided to drop the storyline. When Randy returned and they put the group back together, Dave felt a glimmer of hope that that upon *his* return, they'd put him back in as well. Now that Paul had managed to weasel practically all creative control for that storyline from Vince McMahon, he worried that it was possible that Paul wasn't simply making idle threats. If he didn't go along with Paul's wishes, he could very well be tossed from the angle, or even worse, tossed completely from television. Never before in his life had he felt so pressured.

Sighing with displeasure, Dave tossed his arms emphatically into the air, shaking his head. He looked at Paul with a weak, hopeless gaze, knowing that there was no use arguing. As much as he knew what he _wanted_ to do, what he _had_ to do was just the opposite.

"Fine..." he replied listlessly, lowering his head. Shaking his head again, he turned away from Paul, his head still hanging between his shoulders as he walked away.

"You won't regret this, Dave," Paul called after him, smirking arrogantly.

As he exited the room, Batista exhaled heavily, rubbing a hand over the top of his head. He kept telling himself over and over again that this had to be done, drilling the fact that he had to do this to save his career into his head, but that did nothing for his conscience. He still felt like the biggest slime in the world for agreeing to take part in this. Revenge was one thing, but this... he didn't even think there was a word to describe it. Taking another deep, shaky breath, Dave slowly trudged on down the hall, only hoping that Randy, and especially Trish, would be able to forgive him.


	28. Part 28

**PART 28**

"So, Trish, how are things with Randy and Adam?"

Trish's ears perked up at the sound of the feminine voice, and she placed the script she was reviewing down on the small table in front of her, turning in her seat to discover Dawn Marie behind her. She raised an eyebrow curiously, at the same time patting the cushion next to her, beckoning to the brunette woman to have a seat beside her. Dawn complied, plopping down next to Trish, with whom it felt she hadn't spoken to in ages.

"Things?" Trish asked, once Dawn had been comfortably seated. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, last time you and I had a real talk, Adam kissed you, you were still in love with Randy, he wouldn't take you back... you were having some serious problems with your love life," Dawn explained.

Trish gave a bittersweet grin, nodding in remembrance. She had been a wreck last time she had spoken with Dawn.  Not that she was much better off now, but she had at least regained a bit of her sanity after patching things up with Adam. Tilting her head to the side, she turned to face the elder diva.

"Adam and I had a long discussion about that kiss, as well as our relationship, and we came to the conclusion that we're *both* happy being very good friends. And, unfortunately, I'm still in love with Randy," she said pointedly.  Dawn frowned slightly at the change in attitude Trish underwent as she neared the end of the update on her life.

"Why don't you talk to him?" she asked, placing a gentle hand on the blonde woman's knee. Trish sighed, turning away for a moment before replying.

"I can't, Dawn... I just can't. Believe me, I've thought about it countless times since we last talked, but it seems like every time I try to approach him to say something, I 

just chicken out. He's already turned me down once, and I don't think I could take it again."

Dawn nodded perceptively, despite disagreeing her statement. She had been told by many that she had a very forward and open attitude towards others, but Dawn never saw that as a flaw. Men were cowards, plain and simple. She knew Randy still loved Trish, but he'd never do anything about it other than mope around the halls. If Trish wanted her flame with Randy to be reignited, she was going to have to learn to do it herself.

"Trish, you need to be a little more persistent if you think you're going to..."

"Excuse me ladies," a deep, gruff voice called, cutting Dawn off mid-sentence. Both Dawn and Trish turned their heads to the door, frowning as Paul Levesque stepped into the room. "If you don't mind, Dawn, I need to have a word with Trish."

Dawn Marie watched Paul closely, rolling her eyes in disgust as he plopped down in the empty seat across from them, as though he owned the damn place. Then again, considering just how far his head was shoved up Vince McMahon's ass, he practically *did* own everything. Pursing her lips together, the testy brunette shot a challenging glance his way.

"And if I do?" she inquired, not bothering to mask her annoyance. Narrowing her eyes at the young woman, he laughed sardonically. Then, his expression grew dead serious.

"Get out," he voiced murderously, pointing to the door. 

Dawn sighed, giving in and rising from her seat. She turned and mouthed goodbye to Trish and then strode by Paul, slamming the door shut behind her as she made her exit. Paul shook his head, turning back to Trish.

"Now that *that's* out of the way," he said, referring to Dawn with hatred, "you and I need to have a chat, Miss Stratus." Trish's eyes widened a bit.

"About what? if you're here to threaten me about Randy, don't bother. I'm really not in the mood to put up with your shit, Paul, and I..."

"Shut up and listen, would you? Let me finish, I'm sure you'll like what I have to say," he instructed calmly. He paused, waiting silently for her to settle back into her seat. "I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, and I've come to a decision. You can have Randy. I'll give him to you, if it really means that much to you." A short laugh escaped Trish's lips as she glared at Paul, nodding in disbelief.

"Yeah, okay Paul. Thanks, but no thanks. If I want him, I'll get him on my own," she replied, eyeing the muscular man as though he were insane. It was Paul's turn to laugh.

"You've done quite the shitty job on that so far, haven't you?" he shot back, earning a scowl from the Canadian. "Seriously, Trish, do you _really_ think you'll get Randy back on your own? At the rate you're going, he'll be dead and buried before he realizes how much you still love him. You need my help, Trish. You need me to give Randy up to you, because there's no way we can both have him at the same time."

"Are you delusional?" Trish asked, finding herself to be seriously questioning Levesque's sanity. "You're talking about Randy like he's a piece of property! You say there's no way we can both have him at the same time, but you've never had him to begin with! For Christ sakes, Paul, you don't _own_ him."

"That's where you're wrong, sweetheart. I *do* own Randy, more so than you could ever understand. Why the hell do you think it's taken him so long to come back to you? He's scared shitless... scared of what *I'll* do to him when I find out. He's isolated himself, become a recluse, all because he's too scared to cross me. And you know what, Trish... fear is a very smart emotion," he explained, a crooked smile crossing his features.

Trish sat back in her seat, her head dropping a bit as she realized how absolutely right Paul was. He had such a heavy influence on Randy, on his career and on his _life_, that it was truly as though he were enslaved. He had no choice but to comply to his wishes or he could very well lose his job, which was all he had left after his personal life went down the drain. Trish could see where his fear was coming from... Levesque was controlling his life.

"What's in it for you?" she asked suddenly, catching the arrogant man off guard.

"Excuse me?" he questioned, arching an eyebrow. Standing up, Trish marched over to him, placing her hands on her hips as she stood in front of him, refusing to back down.

"I said, what's in it for you? Come on, Paul, I know you better than that. You're not a very charitable person. You'd never help anyone, especially not an 'annoying bitch' like me, without getting something in return, so what is it?" she demanded. Paul opened his mouth to speak, but then glanced down at his watch, lifting his sunglasses with his free hand to check the time.

"Ooh, bad timing, Trish. There's a creative team meeting in five minutes, and you know how I love to sit in on those. I'm afraid we'll have to finish this discussion later... say, tonight, at the hotel?" he suggested, a twisted smile curling his lips.

"I think I've heard enough, Paul. Thanks for the offer though," Trish replied sarcastically. 

Paul laughed, shaking his head as he made his way to the door. Trish could be so naive sometimes. It almost made him want to puke.

"If you want so much as a hair of a chance with Randy, you'll come see me," he told her, his tone threatening. Scowling at him, Trish removed her hands from her waist, dropping them to her sides. As much as she loathed admitting so, he was right. In a sick, twisted way, Randy was his, and she'd have to go through the Cerebral Assassin to get to him. She glared at him with icy eyes. There were no words in the dictionary strong enough to describe her hatred for that man.

"You just love wrapping people up on leashes and getting them to do what you want, when you want, don't you?" she asked, scoffing bitterly.

"I get my kicks where I can," Paul responded, winking at her. He pulled the door open and stepped out, eyeing Trish with a grin as he closed the door. "See you tonight," he said, smiling triumphantly as he headed back to his locker room, his tale of a creative meeting totally fabricated.

After he disappeared down the hall, a young man emerged from behind the door, a deep frown on his handsome face.


	29. Part 29

**PART 29**

Randy stood frozen before a door, the door the to the locker room of a man with whom he desperately needed to speak. He only wished he wasn't so nervous. He raised his hand in the air, poised to knock, but his arm remained steady. Taking a deep breath, he shook his head, minding himself that he had to do this, for her sake. He knocked firmly and then took a step back, waiting for the door to be answered. A moment later, the door swung open, and Randy was met with a pair of questioning green eyes.

"Can I help you?" the man asked, crossing his muscled arms over his chest as he leaned against the frame of the doorway, sending the younger man an odd gaze. It wasn't everyday that Randy Orton came knocking on his door.

"Yes, Adam, you can," he spoke steadily, cautiously eyeing the lanky Canadian. "In fact, you might just be the *only* person who can."

Adam's once doubtful gaze grew curious, and he took a step back, allowing Randy entrance to the room. Orton graciously accepted the visual invitation and made his way inside, gesturing for Adam to close the door.

"Okay, what's up?" Adam questioned as the door clicked shut.

He was very anxious to hear what Orton had to say. The two men hadn't so much as uttered a hello to each other in over a month... he could only imagine why he'd need his help. Taking a few steps into the room, he sat down on one of the couches, sending Randy an expectant gaze.

"Well, this thing I need you're help with, it's about Trish..." he began, and upon seeing the suspicious gaze arising from Adam, quickly finished with, "but it's not in the way you think!"

Adam laughed a bit at the young man's at the young man's naivety. He found it funny that Randy could know what he was thinking, when in reality, there were a number of reasons floating through his mind. Though he wasn't particularly interested in hearing a sob story about how much Randy loved Trish, and wanted her back, or how he wanted Adam's help in doing so, he gave him the benefit of the doubt. 

"Alright," he nodded, resting back in his seat. "What is it then?"

"I... I need you to talk to Trish about something... for me," he requested, his blue eyes glancing pleadingly in the other man's direction.

Adam snorted at Randy's request, jumping up from his seat. He approached Orton dangerously as he brought himself nose to nose with him. He should have know the little bastard would want him to have him talk to Trish for him. After being spoiled by Flair and Levesque, the kid couldn't fight his own battles. He didn't have to when he'd had the Evolution monkeys around to do everything for him.

"I'd love to Randy, *but*," he replied, his eyes locking with Randy's blue ones, "I'm afraid I have better things to do than tell Trish how sorry you are and how much you want her back. I'm no one's messenger, _especially_ not yours." Randy frowned deeply, shaking his head.

"No, no! It's not like that, I promise! It's just... well, I think Trish may be in danger, and to tell you the truth, I'm scared she won't listen to me about it. I was hoping you could have a talk with her, warn her or something, before she gets hurt."

Adam raised an eyebrow, Randy's statement grabbing his attention. If Trish was truly in danger, he wanted to know about it. He needed to know how and why... and there was no doubt in his mind that the 'who' endangering the blonde diva was Paul Levesque. He took a step back, his gaze still locked on Randy, but softening considerably.

"Okay, okay, I'm listening. What's going on?" he asked, a gleam of concern flashing through his eyes.

Taking a deep breath, Randy carefully began his story. He explained how he had been passing through the hallway, on his way to visit Stephanie McMahon, when he'd overheard the end of the conversation being held in the locker room between Trish and, of all people, Paul Levesque. He gave Adam some details of their discussion, specifically Paul's request for Trish to go to his hotel room later that night. After Paul exited, Randy had immediately rushed to Stephanie McMahon, telling her the whole story and asking for advice. 

"She suggested I come talk to you. I guess she figured since you're Trish's best friend, you'd have the best luck talking her out of it," he concluded, exhaling heavily. 

Adam nodded, a sigh emitting from the Canadian as he thought about Randy's story. He hoped that Trish wouldn't be stupid enough to listen to Paul and go see him, for whatever his reasoning was. But Trish had hardly been herself lately...

"Will you talk to her, please?" Randy requested again. When Adam saw the concern, the genuine worry in his eyes, he had to nod. He gestured to the door and walked over to it, sighing quietly.

"We're far from friends, Orton, but I'll do it. It's for Trish's best interest. I'll go see her right away."

*                      *                      *                      *

Trish sighed as she strolled down the empty hall. A plethora  of thoughts drifted through her mind, but out of all of them, the conversation she had a few hours earlier with Adam stood out. She wasn't sure how he'd found out about it, as he never said who told him... just that he'd been informed.  She shouldn't have been surprised, though... he had a way of finding everything out anyway.

_"Trish, I know you're not even_ thinking _about going to see Paul," he said, his green eyes full of concern. Trish shrugged casually, turning to face him._

_"I know it's probably not the brightest thing to do, but I'm running out of options, Adam. I know Randy and I have similar feelings towards one another, but I don't want him back unless Paul is off his ass for good. Besides, he may not want that much from me anyway," she reasoned, earning an incredulous stare from Adam._

_"Trish, are you insane?!" he cried, his jaw dropping a bit. "This is Paul Levesque we're talking about here! The man is a sadistic, psychotic freak! God only knows what he wants from you. You can not go there," he demanded, his tone a bit reprimanding._

_"Look, maybe I've lost my mind, but I really think I need to do this," she explained._

_"Bullshit," Adam retorted. "What you_ need _to do is remember just how dangerous Paul is, and remember how he feels about you. Do you really want to be alone in a room with a man who absolutely abhors you?"_

_Trish frowned, taking his comment into consideration. She really had gone off the deep end if she thought she could trust Levesque at all, let alone being by herself in a room with him. Adam mistook the thoughtful glance on her face as one of hurt, and his gaze softened. He reached out to her, cupping his hand under her chin and tilting her head up to his._

_"If you have to go, please, let me come with you," he begged. Trish sighed, biting her lip before placing her hand on his wrist._

_"I guess I don't have to go..."_

She knew he was only trying to look out for her, as he always had. Adam had her best interest in mind when he told her not to go. It was too big of a risk, there were far too many chances of her getting hurt....

Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to stop her.

She hated sneaking behind her friend's back, and she hated lying to him ever more, but she had to. She had no other options. She *had* to get Paul off Randy's back, for hers *and* his sake. And, unfortunately, there was no alternative way of doing so. Taking a slow, steady breath, Trish paused before the door marked with the number she had gotten at the front desk. Shaking her head to rid her mind of all her thoughts, Trish put on a brave face, courageously preparing herself for the task at hand. 

"Alright Paul... lets see what you want."


	30. Part 30

**PART 29**

Trish slowly pushed open the door to Paul Levesque's hotel room, quietly ushering herself inside and closing the door behind her. She hated just waltzing in like that, but she had knocked three times and got no answer, only to discover that the door was already open. Her eyes scanned the room quickly, seeing no signs of the Heavyweight Champion. An unwelcome chill crept up her spine as she cautiously searched throughout the seemingly empty hotel suite. She couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right.

Ignoring the bad feeling she was getting in the pit of her stomach, Trish reminded herself that this was for Randy. After this, she could have him back, and have him to herself. Her eyes wandered a bit more, before finally settling on the closed bedroom door. Taking a deep breath, she headed over to it, wincing each time the floor creaked beneath her feet.

She stood before the large wooden door, grasping the handle with her shaky hand. Then, she pushed it open, heading into the dark bedroom, the voices in her head immediately beckoning her to turn back. She turned her back to the room, and just as she was about to walk away, a dim light switched on.

"I'm glad you decided to show," the gruff voice that could only belong to Paul Levesque called, causing Trish to stop dead in her tracks. She squinted into the dim-litted room, recognizing Paul, who was sitting in a chair at a table not far from the bed.

"Yeah, well, let's just get this over with, okay?" Trish requested, her eyes nervously darting about. She was already extremely anxious, and extremely worried that things would not go as she expected.

"Calm down honey, I'm in no rush," Paul replied. He tilted his head towards the chair across the table from him. "Have a seat."

Her fear masked by her curiosity, Trish nodded slowly. She made her way over to him, taking the seat across from him. As she was seated, she could practically feel the holes he was staring into her. She shuddered instinctively, the lethargic gaze he had locked on her causing the uneasiness in her stomach to boil over, forming a lump in her throat.

"So, Trish..." Paul began, regarding Trish as though she were an employee of his, or something to that effect. "I take it since you showed, you're willing to do some negotiating. I'm sure you know that I can't just *give* Randy to you."

"Yes, I know that, Paul," she replied, unable to keep her eyes from rolling emphatically into her head. "But from now on, lets not refer to these 'negotiations' as such. I don't appreciate you regarding Randy as a thing. Lets just cut to the chase and get to what you want."

Paul chuckled at Trish's forwardness, placing his hands on the table and folding them. He eyed her in silence for a moment, a bit surprised that the fear that had been so visible in her eyes only a few minutes ago had since diminished.

"Alright then, I'll get right to it. Let me first make it clear to you just how crucial Randy is to Evolution and, more importantly, to me. I wouldn't want you thinking my demands are outrageous," he said with a smirk. Trish simply rolled her eyes again, sighing heavily.

"Just how crucial is he, Paul?" she asked, her tone less than interested.

"You see, Trish, you've managed to fall in love with a future legend... a future Paul Levesque, if you will," he quipped with a wink. "I've been searching for years to find someone whom I could model after myself. When I'm done wrestling, I wanted my legacy to live on _through_, which is why I've spent so much time and energy working to mold him. If I were to part with him now, I'd have to start all over again. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yes, Paul, I understand," Trish replied flatly, crossing her legs under the table. "Unfortunately, you'll have to find someone else to do your 'molding' with. I still want Randy back, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes."

"I'm glad you say that," Levesque remarked, his eyes gleaming. "Because all I want is one thing," he said, waving his index finger in the air.

"And that would be?" Trish questioned, a forced smile etched across her face.

"You."

Trish arched her eyebrow at his short response. Her?

"Excuse me?" she asked, confusion glazing over her features. Paul's grin widened as he reached across the table, laughing to himself when she yanked out of his grasp.

"Don't play innocent with me, Trish. We're both adults here, and you know how this works. All I'm asking for is one night; no commitments, no regrets. Then, Randy is all yours, and I'll deliver that message to him personally," he explained.

A disgusted groan escaped Trish's lips as she pushed her seat away from the table, glaring at Paul in a shocked disbelief. Her jaw dropped as she watched him stare her down... that pig was actually licking his lips. He really thought she would sleep with him! She crossed her arms in front of her, all of a sudden feeling very naked.

"To put it lightly, Paul... I'd rather die," she responded.

"Oh, don't worry sweetheart... that could easily be arranged," he replied, his tone deathly serious.

Trish's eyes widened at his comment, and she swallowed hard, taking a deep breath. The way he was staring at her, the hungriness in his eyes practically devouring her, made her feel incredibly dirty. Adam was right... she never should have come.

Turning her head to the door, Trish silently estimated the distance to it, knowing it wouldn't be long till she had to make a run for it. Very slowly, she rose from her seat, keeping her gaze locked on Levesque should he decide to make any sudden movements. She took a step towards the door.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Paul warned, causing the blonde woman to stop in her tracks. 

She drew her gaze back to Paul, and the burly man laughed as he saw what he made out to be a tear building in her eyes.

"Paul, stop. I'll... I'll get Randy back myself... there is *no* way I'd lower myself to your level," she said, her words strong and firm despite how terrified she felt.

Paul jumped up from his seat, pushing his chair into the table so roughly he almost knocked it over. Trish gasped as he approached her, her legs trembling but not moving, as she was too scared to move. She thought back to when she'd examined the distance to the door, determining that she could make it out if she ran. She turned away, taking one swift step towards the door, and then, she froze.

The terror in her eyes intensified as, from the darkest corners of the room, Dave Batista and Ric Flair emerged, the three members of Evolution closing in on her.


	31. Part 31

PART 31 

She wasn't in her room.

That was all Randy could think of as he raced through the hotel. He knocked on her door early that morning, and she didn't answer. Despite the fact that she had promised Adam she wouldn't, Randy just knew she went to see Paul the night before. She had gone to see him, and she hadn't returned.

Rounding a corner, Randy caught a glimpse of Adam, who had Jay Reso by his side, sliding a key card into his hotel room door.

"Adam!" he called breathlessly as he ran up to him. He had been running so quickly that he could barely slow to a stop, nearly bowling the two Canadians over.

"Woah, slow down!" Adam said, putting his hands up to block Randy from colliding into him. "What's wrong with you?"

Taking a deep breath, Randy shook his head.

"Trish, she's... she's not in her hotel room. I don't know what to do."

Jay arched an eyebrow at the younger man's statement, which confused him for so many reasons. So what if Trish wasn't in her room? She wasn't Randy's girlfriend anymore, and she was an adult, free to come and go as she pleased. Also, what the hell was he doing coming to Adam? He was even more surprised when his best friend's eyes widened in shock, his gym bag falling to the floor from his hands. He stuffed the key into Jay's hand, before grabbing Randy by the arm and hurrying off.

"I'll be back, Jay!" he called over his shoulder, leaving his very confused friend behind.

He led Randy up a flight of stairs, bolting up them so quickly that he nearly missed a few of them. He sped down the hall, running full speed until he recognized a room number, stopping abruptly in front of it.

"What are you doing?" Randy asked as he paused to catch his breath.

"This is his room," he replied, staring at the large white door before him. "I saw him and Flair coming from here yesterday afternoon."

He grabbed the door handle, jiggling it a bit, groaning as he realized that the door was indeed locked.

"Damn it," he muttered as he fought with the door, cursing at it.

Randy watched as Adam struggled with the door, the Canadian becoming increasingly frustrated as it wouldn't budge. He exhaled heavily, wondering where in hell Trish could be. His stomach dropped as he considered all that could possibly have happened to her. Paul was capable of doing serious, irreversible damage, and the thought of him doing so to someone like Trish terrified him.

He glanced from the door to Adam, and then back to the door again. Deciding there was no way he could sit by and wait for Adam to pry the damn thing open, Randy raised his foot in the air, slamming it down on the door. His extreme amount of worry somehow enabled him the strength to bust the door open with a single kick. It flew back, hitting the wall with such force that it bounced back and began to close again.

Adam nodded thankfully, and then the two men rushed into the room, each calling Trish's name as they tore through the seemingly empty suite. Randy searched and searched and found nothing, and was about to breathe a sigh of relief, until Adam's chilled words caused him to freeze.

"Oh my God... I found her."

"Oh my God, you're kidding me," Stephanie McMahon said almost breathlessly, her eyes widening in terror.

She gripped Chris's hand tightly as Adam retold the painful tale of how he and Randy had discovered Trish. A little over tow hours had passed, and after letting a select group of friends know what had happened, Adam and Randy had been joined in the hospital waiting room by Chris, Stephanie, and Jay. A thick silence fell over them as the tragic seriousness of the situation began to settle in on them. In response to Stephanie's comment, Adam sadly shook his head.

"Jesus," Chris breathed, his blue eyes wide. "Have you heard anything about her condition?" Adam shook his head again.

"Not a single thing," he said, pausing for a brief moment. "I've... I've never seen anything like that before. It was the most horrifying thing I've ever gone through, seeing her like that..."

Stephanie turned out the blonde man's voice, not particularly interested in hearing the gruesome details on how he had discovered Trish. Her gaze traveled around a bit, and as she was glancing past her husband, she noticed Randy, who was sitting across the room. Frowning, she released her grip on Chris's hand and then slowly strode over to him. His face was expressionless as she took a seat next to him.

Stephanie felt a pang of sympathy in her heart as she eyed his pitiful form. She couldn't even begin to imagine how numb he must have been feeling.

"Randy, I'm so sorry," she spoke softly, as she wasn't sure he was even aware of her presence.

"Don't be," he replied without moving so much as a muscle.

He had gotten to know Stephanie considerable well during the past weeks, and he knew her apologies were not the typical sympathies one would give. She was more than likely feeling guilty over the fact that Paul, her ex-fiance, had attacked Trish. Despite the fact that Randy had been desperately searching for someone to blame, he did not want the brunette to be that person. Stephanie sighed, opening her mouth to speak, but a third person stepped up and joined the conversation.

"What did you do?!"

Randy glanced up to meet the furious gaze of Dawn Marie. There was no way he could handle an argument with the feisty brunette, not now.

"Dawn, please..." he begged weakly.

"Shut up, Randy. Tell me how one of my best friends is lying half dead in a hospital bed and..."

"Dawn!" a fourth voice called, and it was then that Stephanie lifted her head and noticed that Jay had come right up behind Dawn Marie. "He didn't do anything. He's the one who _saved_ Trish, okay? Just lay off him."

Dawn quieted down, but it was obvious she was less than convinced. She made her dislike for Randy no secret, and had Jay not been there to hold her back, she'd have given him a larger piece of her mind.

Randy looked up at Jay, and the Canadian smiled as he sensed a bit of gratitude in his otherwise hopeless gaze. The young man buried his face in his hands, and the four remained silent until a doctor, who was accompanied by a police officer, approached them.

"Are you the one who brought the young woman in?" the detective asked, his eyes locked on Randy, who had since lifted his head. When Randy nodded, the man continued. "We're going to need you to give us a DNA sample... same with the other man who brought her in."

"What? What for?" Randy asked, surprised and concerned at the same time.

"Standard procedure," the man replied simply.

Randy, as well as Dawn Marie, Jay, and Stephanie, still looked confused, so the doctor - an African American woman who looked to be in her late thirties - stepped up to explain.

"It's in order to rule you out as a suspect," she said, hoping to clear things up a bit.

"Look, we know who did this to her," Jay spoke for Randy, who had the look of a deer caught in headlights. "We'll all attest to the fact that neither Randy nor Adam did anything but help Trish."

"I understand that, but just to be sure, we have to take the sample. You see, there were fluids found on Ms. Stratus's body... she was raped."


	32. Part 32

PART 32

"I can't believe you had the balls to show up here."

Dave Batista cringed at the cold, unforgiving words of Adam Copeland. The look alone the Canadian wore on his infuriated face was enough to make him want to run. _You can't back down, Dave_, he told himself silently as he watched a few more pairs of harsh eyes settling in on him. The not-so-quiet volume of Adam's comment had drawn the attention of more than a few. _You have to own up to what you did._

"Please, Adam, I'm just.. I came here so that I could explain," he said, placing his hands in the air with a very placating gesture.

"Explain?" Adam questioned, a short, rueful laugh accompanying it. "There's nothing to explain, Dave. We know what you did."

Over the past few hours, Trish's doctors had revealed more and more about her assault. The patterns of the bruises and contusions on her body led them to believe that - while only one person had actually raped Trish - there had to have been more than one attacker involved. Once they had made that news known to the WWE employees waiting in the lobby, it took only a matter of seconds for them to conclude that Evolution was behind all of it. Needless to say, Dave was one of the last people they wanted, not to mention expected, to see.

"You don't know how guilty I feel. Please, I just want an opportunity to explain why I did it. All I'm asking for is five minutes to talk to you all. I think I deserve the chance to..."

"You don't deserve shit," Adam cut him off bitterly.

He glared at the larger man in disgust, and it was all he could do not to try and strangle him with his bare hands. As far as he was concerned, there was no reason. Nothing could justify what had been done to Trish.

Dave sighed... he knew he should have waited longer before showing up at the hospital, but he just couldn't. The overwhelming guilt had consumed each and every one of his thoughts, and he knew he would not be able to rest until he at least got the story off of his chest to those that needed to hear it. He glanced over at some of the others in the room, his gut twisting as he noted the somber, sad looks on all of their faces. Dawn Marie and Stephanie both appeared to be fighting tears, and even a few of the guys looked to be nearing that point.

He tore his gaze away from them, blinking back the moisture he could feel forming in his own eyes. He never wanted to hurt Trish, he never wanted to cause such tremendous amounts of worry and grief on such wonderful people, people he truly cared about. And, God, poor Trish... he could only imagine how the blonde woman was feeling at the moment... if she was feeling anything at all.

"H-how is she?" he asked tentatively.

Adam gave him a funny look, and then turned his head away. Dave took a half step closer to him, worrying that the blonde man may have begun to cry, and the next thing he knew, Adam swung at him, the Canadian's balled up fist making direct contact with his cheek. Dave groaned in pain as his hand flew to his face. Adam had swung at him with every last ounce of strength he had left in his body, and to say that it hurt was a severe understatement.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?! You can't just show up pretending to be concerned now! Where was your concern while you were there? Where was your concern when you were beating on a defenseless woman?!" he challenged, shaking his fist a bit to get rid of the sting.

"Adam, calm down, you're getting too loud," Jay spoke from his seat.

He wanted to get up so that he could attempt to restrain his best friend, but he wasn't about to be punched as well. He remained, just as the others had, in his seat, completely still.

"No!" Adam cried defensively, not even bothering to glance back in Jay's direction. "Was it worth it for you, Dave? The money, the fame, the high profile career, is it worth hurting innocent people?"

"No!" Dave cried back, just as defensively. "You don't understand, I had no choice. I had to do it."

Adam shook his head again. If anyone thought a man with the size and power Batista held could be pushed around, they were full of shit. He stared at Dave for a bit, and before he knew it, he found himself lunging at him again, this time throwing his entire body towards him. However, this time, both Chris and Jay had grabbed a hold of Adam and yanked him away as he made contact with Dave. The force was still strong enough to knock him off balance and send him to the floor.

Instead of getting to his feet, Dave remained on the floor, watching as the two blonde men carried a screaming Adam out of the room. Stephanie and Dawn were not far behind, Dawn trailing right behind the men in an infuriated huff. Stephanie paused on her way out the door, turning to face him.

"Maybe it'd be best if you left," she suggested quietly, before turning her back to him and following the others.

Taking a deep, shaky breath, Dave shook his head, trying to knock away some of the cobwebs caused be Adam's brutal punch. He remained in that spot for a few moments, wanting to at least collect himself physically before rising from the floor. Finally, he picked himself up off the floor, moving over to one of the armchairs and taking a seat.

He buried his face in his hands, sighing deeply. He just couldn't believe that he had actually done some of this. He was partially responsible for all the damage that had already been caused. And judging by the display Adam put on a few minutes ago, the worst still seemed yet to come. And the worst part of it all, the part that was torturing him more than anything, was that he deserved anything and everything he was going to get.

He couldn't even bear to think of what his family would think - or even worse, what Trish would think. She _trusted_ him, considered him to be one of her friends, and he betrayed that trust in the worst way possible.

"I can't believe you did this, Dave."

The sound of the voice startled Batista, and he lifted his gaze from his hands. His eyes widened and the already torn pieces of his heart fell apart as he realized who was sitting directly across from him, and had apparently been there the whole time. He hadn't seen him through all the commotion that had ensued. Aside from Trish herself, he was the one person Dave dreaded seeing the most.

"Randy..."


	33. Part 33

**PART 33**

"Randy, I..." Dave trailed off, finding himself - not surprisingly - at a loss for words.

He couldn't even begin to imagine the plethora of emotions Randy had to be feeling. He knew how much he loved Trish, and he couldn't even pretend to understand how horrifying this experience had to be for him. Sitting around, just waiting, unknowing of her safety, whether or not she'd be alright... it had to be unbearable. And what was even worse, knowing that his best friend had been part of the attack that landed her in the hospital in the first place.

At this point, Dave wasn't sure who was feeling worse; Randy, or himself. The guilt which had consumed his mind and body grew rapidly and by the second as he stared at his helpless-looking best friend. Best friend. Some mockery of the word he was. A _real_ friend would never hurt someone they cared so much about in such a terrible way. A real friend wouldn't have put his career before that of another's safety.

As far as he was concerned, he was not only a poor excuse for a man as well. Paul had talked about it all the time, the difference between ordinary men and _real_ men, the type they should always aspire to be. He felt attacking Trish to send a message to Randy would show the young Superstar who the real men were. To Paul, it was always about Evolution separating themselves from the ordinary men. And assaulting Trish did make them different from the others. It made them scum.

"Dave..." Randy began, already finding himself choking over his thoughts and words. "...How? How could you do this to her? To me?"

The emotion, the sheer betrayal in his tone stabbed at Dave's heart like a rusted dagger. Batista forced himself to look away, knowing full well if he were to keep his gaze locked on Randy he would surely throw up. It wouldn't be the first time since that dreadful event that Dave had to purge himself of his guilt by purging the contents of his stomach.

"I... I don't know, Randy," he replied quietly, shaking his head. "I knew it was wrong, and I _hated_ myself for taking part in it, but I _had_ to. Paul, he just... he forced me into it..."

Randy snorted at the comment, shaking his head.

"It's no excuse, Dave. I know how Paul is, and I know how hard it is to break away, but it can be done. You took the cowardly way out. You took Trish's safety and placed it not only in the hands of a madman, but you placed it beneath your career. I would think, after all we've been through together, you'd have the respect for her, for me, for _yourself_, to say no and to warn someone," Randy said, his voice strong and firm despite the fact that he was dying on the inside.

"I... I don't know what I was thinking... I guess I just..."

"How could not tell me this was going to happen?!" Randy cried suddenly, startling both Dave and himself by the intensity of his outburst. "How, when you knew Trish didn't deserve it, and you knew how much I love her, could you not tell me? You're supposed to be my best friend..."

Dave inhaled deeply, drawing his gaze back up to him, his stomach dropping. No longer attempting to hide his emotions, tears plainly glistened in Randy's eyes, slipping down his cheeks with each blink. Dave swallowed hard, an ominous lump forming in his throat. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing - no words, no sounds - came out. He simply stared; blank, dumbfounded, and pained all at the same time.

"What did you do?" Randy asked, biting back the sob that was aching to be released from the back of his throat. "I know what Paul did... what did you do?"

"Well..." Dave began, pausing to clear his throat, in hopes that he could make the waiver in his voice disappear. He squeezed his eyes shut, painfully recalling what happened on that dreadful night.

The look in her eyes alone was enough to make Dave want to kill himself. Her eyes - the normally cheerful, radiant chocolate orbs - were now full of terror. Terror that he was in part responsible for. He could barely bring himself to look at her at all.

_"Why are you doing this?" Trish had asked him, gazing back at him as she received another blow to the cheek, courtesy of the so called Nature Boy, Ric Flair. "Dave, help me..."_

_He looked at her again, the already broken pieces of his heart shattering into billions more as he noticed the tears spilling down her cheeks. He sent her a look containing a thousand apologies, but he knew they would never be enough. He desperately wanted to talk to her, to let her know he wanted nothing to do with all this, but doing so would cost both of them more than they could afford._

_"You're letting her go, Dave!" Paul's voice called, and even though he was standing right in front of him, Dave could barely make out his words._

_He reluctantly tightened his grip he had on Trish's arms, which he was holding steady behind her back. A nauseas feeling rose in his stomach as she struggled to break free from his grasp. Her head snapped to the side as Paul viciously balled his hand into a fist and swung, connecting with her cheek. After that, Dave's senses vanished. He simply stared; and even though he could see everything that was happening, he had become so numb that none of it was sinking in._

_Paul yanked Trish from Dave's hands, shoving her over to Ric, who in turned shoved her, face down, to the bed. The elder man sat beside her, using his body weight to hold her still. Dave's knees went weak, and he too dropped to the bed, sitting in front of Trish. From the corners of both their eyes, Dave and Trish could see Paul's hands sliding to his belt buckle, undoing it hastily. Realizing exactly what was going to happen, a terrified Trish could not hold back a scream. Dave felt as though he was going to be sick, and squeezed his eyes shut again, attempting to rid his brain of the images plaguing him. When he opened them, Trish was staring at him, fresh tears filling her pleading eyes._

_"Dave, don't let him do this to me!" she begged. "Please... don't let him hurt me..."_

_Her grief-stricken words caused the bile in his stomach to rise rapidly, quickly shooting to his throat. He rose from the bed and bolted to the sliding door leading to the balcony, flinging it open and rushing outside. Leaning over the railing, he released the vomit that had been souring his stomach for hours, purging himself of his guilt, not to mention his lunch._

_When the heaving feeling finally stopped, he lifted his head, taking a deep, slow breath. From the inside of the room, he could hear them. Trish and Paul. He could barely make out what Paul said... nothing sunk into his head except for Trish. He could hear her screaming, begging, and crying for help, but Dave froze, not daring to turn around to look. But the sound of the Trish so helplessly calling for help, his help, became too much. He leaned over the railing again, his system finding more waste to expel. God, he just wanted Paul to leave her alone..._

Retelling the tale caused the same nauseas feelings that had caused Dave to throw up at the hotel to rush back to his system. He removed his gaze from Randy and placed it on the floor, swallowing hard, doing his best to force the taste down his throat. Still, it rose, and when Dave realized he was fighting a losing battle, he hopped up from his seat, his eyes frantically searching for a bathroom. When he located it, he ran to it, not even able to make it into a stall before vomiting again. He threw his head into the sink, heaving again and again, until there was nothing left in him.

Batista dropped to his knees, resting his head on the cold porcelain of the sink. For the first time since the previous night, the severity of what he had done sunk in, and hot tears burned at his eyes. He couldn't contain the sob that pushed its way out of his throat, and for a man who had nothing to say five minutes earlier, the words flowed from his mouth.

"Oh, God, I'm sorry!" he cried, a tear slipping from his eye and sliding down his cheek. "I never wanted to hurt her! I hate myself so much for going along with it, for even giving that ludicrous plan a second thought. I'm sorry for letting Paul control me, I'm sorry for hurting Trish, I'm sorry for betraying Randy... I'm just so damn sorry..."

"Me too."

Dave gasped, lifting his head with a sniffle and turning to the door. Through his tear-blurred vision, he saw Randy, who was slowly approaching him. He opened his mouth, but Randy shook his head, placing his hand to silence him. He came to a stop before him.

"Dave, I _know_ you," he said. "I know you're not like them. I know you're better than they are. It just... that's not enough. It's not enough to make Trish better, and it's certainly not enough to make what you did okay."

"I know it isn't," Dave replied, lowering his head in utter shame. "I wish you could know how I sorry I am, Randy, for _everything_."

As Dave glanced back up at him, Randy sighed. He wanted to kill him for what he did, to ring his throat and make him suffer every bit of pain Trish was forced to feel, but he couldn't. He didn't have the energy or will to fight. And on top of that, there was still a small piece of him that needed Dave. Despite the insanity surrounding them, they were still best friends.

He gestured for him to rise from the floor, motioning in his direction. Dave gazed up at him in complete silence for awhile, before slowly picking himself up. He stood before Randy, the emotions of both men running high as they stared at each other with tear filled eyes. They remained that way for some time, reading each other's thoughts, until Randy extended his arms to him - the first one hesitantly, the second tentative as well, until both arms were outstretched. Taking a deep, shaky breath, Dave opened his arms as well, and the two men collapsed into a tight embrace. As ironic as it seemed, they needed each other now more than ever.


	34. Part 34

**PART 34**  
  
"Now, if we go back in there, do you think you could act like a civilized adult?"

Adam glared at Jay, snorting with annoyance at his best friend's comment. He certainly didn't appreciate being spoken to like a child. Dawn Marie, Stephanie, and Chris gazed after him, a look of utmost concern in all their eyes. It had taken them the longest time trying to calm Adam down after the outburst he had upon seeing Dave, and they still weren't sure he was alright to return to the waiting room.

"I'll be just fine, Jay," he replied through clenched teeth, "so long as that prick smartened up and left."

The group simply shook their heads and continued on their way, all of them in complete silence. As they pushed through the double doors leading back into the waiting room, Adam caught a glimpse of Randy and, of all people, Dave, sitting together in the back of the room. Before he could even think about reacting, Chris and Jay were on him, each man taking a hold of one of his arms and gripping it tightly to restrain him. The two men holding him steady sighed as they approached the two, Adam's eyes locking sternly on Batista.

"Well, isn't this cute?" he quipped bitterly. "Looks like we're only two assholes short of an Evolution reunion."

Randy lifted his gaze from the floor, his fallen blue eyes resting on the Canadian before him.

"Adam, please..." he begged weakly.

He was still in disbelief over what Dave had done, too. But at the same time, neither Dave nor himself had the energy to fight. As far as he was concerned, there were far more important matters at hand.

"Randy, no. Maybe you've so quickly forgotten what this bastard did, but I haven't. Maybe a simple, 'I'm sorry,' is all that's needed for all to be forgiven on your part, but its damn sure not gonna work that way with me," he replied flatly, shaking his head.

Randy sighed, "Of _course_ an apology isn't enough, Adam, but at the moment, I don't give a shit about that. All I care about is Trish's safety... and that should be all that's on your mind as well."

Adam took a step back, the harshness on his face quickly diminishing. His gaze grew skeptical as his eyes rested on Dave, who had - out of fear of what the blonde man would do should he dare to speak - remained silent, his eyes locked on the floor. Randy was right.

The anger, the rage which had been coursing through his bloodstream since Dave's arrival had overshadowed what really matter, and what really mattered was his worry for Trish. Shrugging out of the now lax grips Jay and Chris had on him, Adam walked over to the empty chair to Randy's left, taking a seat in it.

"I still don't want him here," he spoke after a lengthy silence.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop his heart from freezing over at the thought of the man only two chairs away. "Trish _should_ be my only concern, but she can't be with him sitting here! He's got no right to be here..."

"Adam, who the hell do you think you are?" Jay interrupted suddenly, catching Adam and the others off-guard. "I know how upset you are, but you've got to stop raising your voice. Stop making scenes, or you're going to get us all thrown out of here before we even get a chance to see Trish."

"No, no, he's right," Dave spoke, for the first time since the others had rejoined them. He lifted his gaze to them, his eyes still red and swollen. "I came here to say what I had to say, and now that I've done so, I'll leave. I don't want to cause anymore trouble for you all than I already have..."

"Excuse me..." a woman's voice, coming from behind the group, cut Dave off. Everyone turned around to see a middle aged nurse standing behind them, her soft eyes regarding them in a tentative manner. "She's awake."

--------------------------

"Are you sure you don't want me to go in with you?" Dawn Marie asked once more, eyeing Adam with concern.

After the nurse had revealed the news of Trish regaining consciousness, the group had spoken to her doctor. The younger male physician had given them permission to visit Trish - but no more than two at a time - in her room. He worried that, after such a brutal attack by the group of men who had left her for dead in their hotel room, being surrounded by a large group of people would be too overwhelming for the poor girl. Adam had insisted that he be the first to see her, and he assured them all that he could handle it alone... but Dawn wasn't so positive. The blonde man had been extremely emotional since their arrival at the hospital, and she just didn't think he could handle it by himself. She just wished he would give in and let her join him.

"Yes, Dawn, I'm sure," Adam replied after a brief silence. "I appreciate the offer, but this is just one of those things I need to do on my own."

Dawn sighed, giving Adam a reluctant nod. She patted him on the back and walked away, silently wishing him luck. Adam took a deep breath, exhaling heavily as his gaze ran over the number on Trish's room door for what had to be the hundredth time. He reached out and grasped the door handle, swallowing hard as he realized just how badly he was shaking.

He thought back to a few minutes ago, when they had spoken to Trish's doctor. He had warned them all that she was not a pretty sight; apparently there were more visible injuries than they'd imagined. However, in Adam's mind, there was no way she could look as horrible as she did when they found her in Paul's room. Words couldn't describe the feelings that ran through his stomach then...

Shaking his head a bit to clear his thoughts, Adam pushed the door open, preparing himself for the worst. Her room was dark, except for the strips of light coming in through the curtains. Adam approached her bed, his steps so ginger and cautious that it took him quite awhile to reach her. He paused at the foot of her bed, looking down to see her for the first time in over twenty-four hours. He only caught one glimpse of her before he had to turn away. While she did look better than when he last saw her, she in no way looked healthy, and the sight of her was still too much to bear. He swallowed again, forcing the lump back down his throat.

"A-Adam?"

Her voice was so small he could barely hear her, but Adam's eyes lit up at her speaking, and at the fact that she acknowledged that it was him in the room with her. He moved closer to her, kneeling by the side of her bed. Trish very slowly turned to face him, and he could tell by the grimace she made that she was having trouble doing so.

"Yes, honey, it's me," he said softly.

He wanted to touch her so badly, just to gently take her hand in his and tell her everything would be alright, but he feared making any type of contact would startle her.

"Thank you..." she said, wincing as a terrible pain shot through her body, "...for... for bringing me here. And for staying."

It was all he could do to hold back tears as he gazed over at her. Her eye was black and slightly swollen, her lip looked as though it had been busted open, there were multiple bruises and contusions on her arms... and that was only what could be seen. Adam couldn't even begin to imagine what terrible aching she must have been feeling. On top of the physical pain of her being raped, there was the mental anguish, the feelings of betrayal and sheer violation. The thought alone of what she endured made Adam absolutely sick.

"Don't thank me, Trish," he said finally, placing a hand on her bed. "In fact, don't worry about me at all."

"But you saved me..." she reminded him. "You and Randy, you found me and then you brought me here."

Adam shook his head.

"I did bring you here, Trish, but if it weren't for Randy, I wouldn't have known anything was wrong in the first place. He's the savior here, not me," he replied.

Despite the hard time he gave Orton out in the waiting room, Adam was immeasurably grateful to have him around. Had he not gone to Trish's hotel room in the morning, and had he not acted on his instincts to ask for help, God only knows what would have happened to Trish. He looked down at the floor, suddenly feeling very guilty for the way he had been acting.

His gaze snapped back up to the young woman when she surprised him by taking his hand in hers. Their eyes met, and Adam could again feel the lump crawling its way back up his throat.

"Adam, I love you," she said, her voice strong despite her weakness. "You have no idea how thankful I am to have you, and to have you here. But I need you to do me a favor."

"Name it," Adam replied, giving her hand a gentle, but firm, squeeze.

After all she had been through in the past twenty-four hours alone, he wasn't about to deny her anything.

"When you see Randy, tell him that I love him?" she requested, a glimmer of hope in her otherwise sad eyes.

Adam raised an eyebrow... Trish knew that the two of them weren't exactly friends, but why couldn't she tell him herself? She must have thought that Randy had left, or not come at all. Though he wondered why she would think such a thing, he didn't question her. Instead, he slowly rose from the floor, bringing her hand up to his lips and pressing a soft kiss to it. He reluctantly let go and headed to the door. He paused once he reached it, turning back to speak to her one last time.

"I love you too, Trish... and as far as Randy is concerned... I'll do you one better."


	35. Part 35

**PART 35**

Trish wanted out of the hospital in the worst way. Seeing Adam only a few minutes earlier only ceased to remind her of how much she despised hospitals, and despised being kept in them. It was a phobia all too common among wrestlers.

She needed to be out there with her friends and coworkers - people she considered to be her _family_ - not trapped in this dark, dingy room. However, when she tried to turn to her side in an effort to get more comfortable, she was given a stark reminder of why she was there. She could hardly move. The intense, agonizing pain that shot through the area between her lower back and mid thigh was unbearable. The smallest of motions, like the one she just attempted to make, brought tears to her eyes.

Despite the fact that she knew Paul Levesque's mind was purely evil, Trish didn't think even he would do such a terrible thing to her. It was inhuman. What she really couldn't understand was how he could get into the heads of Ric and Dave - _especially_ Dave, who she always thought had a heart of gold - enough to coerce them into going along with him.

A knock on the door started her, and in her surprise, Trish jumped, as much as her aching body would allow her to. The knock was soft, and had her senses not become so acute since being raped, she probably wouldn't have even heard it.

"Come in..." she said quietly, wondering if the person on the other side could even hear her weak voice.

Her throat was dry, and speaking again made her realize just how thirsty she was. Keeping one eye locked on the door, Trish swallowed the pain for the time being, stretching out to the table by her bedside and snatching up the cup of water on it. As the knob on the door turned, Trish thirstily sucked down the liquid, gulping its contents down until there was not a single drop remaining. Just as she went to place the cup back in its place, the door had opened and, out of the corner of the eye she had kept focused on it, she immediately recognized who it was. She dropped the cup, her jaw dropping as well. It couldn't be...

"Randy..." she breathed, her eyes widening in disbelief.

She squinted, studying his form carefully. She prayed to whatever God there was out there that she wasn't hallucinating, and that it was really him in the flesh, standing in her doorway. Randy opened his mouth as though to speak, but no words came out. He took a deep, shaky breath, feeling himself beginning to choke up already. He swallowed hard, forcing back the tears looming just behind his eyes. He walked over to her and when he found an open spot on her bed, he sat down beside her.

"Oh, Trish," he said as he eyed her over, unable to prevent the tiny gasp that escaped from his lips.

Though he had been waiting for hours and hours on end to see her, he realized the second he entered the room and saw her lying there that he wasn't prepared for this. Then again, nothing could have readied him for this, for seeing Trish this way. He unconsciously raised his hand from his lap, touching her cheek gently, wincing as she jumped under his touch. He kept his hand there still, his touch light as a feather as he stroked her cheek.

Then, Trish surprised him by raising a hand of her own, cupping it over top of his. She rubbed the pad of her thumb over the back of his hand, examining his skin as though she'd never felt a thing like it before. In a way, she was rediscovering his touch, which - even after all the time that had passed - was comfortably familiar.

"You... you're here..." she spoke suddenly, a look bordering confusion on her face.

Randy frowned, not so much at the weakness her voice had, but at the questioning tone in which she spoke to him. It sounded like she wasn't expecting to see him, that she was surprised he was there or something.

"Of course I'm here," he said softly. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Giving what she could of a shrug, Trish glanced up at him, a bit surprised ay the almost hurt look in his pale blue eyes. She gestured for him to move back a bit, and then did her best to sit up, struggling for a moment until Randy adjusted her pillow for her.

"Because... I'm not an obligation. You don't have to be here," she replied.

Randy sighed, "Yes, Trish, I do. I couldn't leave, not until I saw you. I was worried sick."

Trish suddenly felt slightly guilty for her comment. Her heart warmed at Randy's explanation for being there... it meant so much to see that he still cared.

"I... I didn't mean to scare any of you," she said quietly, her gaze dropping to the sheets resting on top of her body.

"Oh, no, it's not your fault Trish. None of this is your fault. I'm going to get Paul for what he did to you, I promise that," he replied, his body tensing at the thought of his former friend.

He stopped abruptly, fearing he may have said too much. Sure enough, when he examined Trish's face, he could see the tears filling her eyes. The pained expression on her face stabbed at Randy's heart, and he shook his head.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, very gingerly pressing his forehead to hers. "I'm sorry I brought it up."

Trish nodded, a tear slipping from her eye and sliding down her cheek. She sniffled, frowning as the room filled with an uncomfortable silence. Both of them had so much to say, yet neither of them could form words. For a moment, it was as though they'd lost their ability to speak. Finally, Randy swallowed all the nauseous feelings running through him, and he lifted his head from hers.

"Trish, I'm so sorry for all of this. I know it's not my fault, but I feel so damn responsible," he said, his voice wavering slightly. "If I had just followed my heart and stayed with you, this never would have happened. I should have stayed with you... I should have stayed."

Trish slowly turned to face him, startled as she noticed that Randy's eyes glistened with the moisture of fresh tears. Her eyes widened and her mouth gaped open, and she reached up to touch him, unsure if she was seeing correctly.

"You... you wanted to stay?" she questioned, carefully wiping a tear from his eye.

"Always," he replied sincerely, brushing her hand away. I've always wanted to be with you, Trish... I didn't realize how badly till you were gone. I swear to you, I will never leave your side again."

"Good," Trish replied, two more tears falling as she choked back a sob, "because I need you, Randy. More than anything in the world, I need you to help me get through this."

"You _have_ me," he promised, pulling her to him. "And this time, you have all of me."

She winced at first, but then she slowly eased into his embrace. Randy hugged her tightly, but was careful not to hurt her. Tears flowed freely from both individuals, and even though they were both crying, it felt okay. For the first time in what seemed like forever, things felt right. Randy kissed her softly, his heart pouring from his just as the tears did.

"Oh, God, Trish... I love you."


	36. Part 36

**PART 36**

"You're quiet... are you okay?"  
  
Stephanie glanced up, her blank gaze softening a little as she met the blue eyes of her husband. Chris placed his hand on her knee, eyeing her with concern.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine..." she nodded, giving him a small smile of reassurance. "I just hope that Randy will be okay when he gets out of there."  
  
It was then that Chris realized that the object Stephanie's gaze had been so transfixed on was the door to Trish's room, of which the young man had yet to emerge from. He had been in there for quite some time, and if his emotional state was the same as it was when they'd arrived, Steph had every right to be worried. To say he had been a wreck was an understatement.  
  
"Well, looks like you'll get to find out for yourself soon enough," Chris replied, nodding his head in the direction of Trish's room. "He's headed this way."  
  
Sure enough, when Stephanie turned her head she saw Randy Orton, and he was walking in their direction. He immediately approached the brunette, who had been his shoulder and support since the second she arrived, and he took a seat next to her. After a brief moment of silence, Chris stood, patting Stephanie on the shoulder.  
  
"I'll leave you two alone," he said respectfully, sending her a small grin before walking away, off in search of Dawn, Jay, and Adam.  
  
Stephanie waited till her husband was gone, and then she switched her gaze to Randy. A lump formed in her throat as she studied his face intently, her heart nearly breaking at the crushed expression on his face.  
  
"How is she?" she spoke, a little hesitant to do so at first.  
  
Randy sighed, clutching his stomach as though he was having a terrible pain there. He closed his eyes for a long moment, and when he opened them he focused on her.  
  
"I... I don't really know how to explain how she's doing, Steph," he said, a sudden look of confusion marring his handsome face. "She's okay, but she's not okay. I mean, she seemed alright while I was talking to her - not her usual self, of course - but I just know it was a front. She's dying on the inside, she's got to be. I can see it in her eyes."  
  
Stephanie swallowed hard, her eyes finding the floor as she suddenly found herself unable to look at him. Randy folded his hands together, sighing again as he placed them between his knees. He couldn't get the image of Trish, lying alone and frightened in that hospital bed out of his mind. No matter how hard he tried, his mind refused to lie anywhere but with her.  
  
"I know you don't like me saying this, Randy, but I'm so sorry," Stephanie said to him, her blue eyes gleaming with concern. "Neither of you deserve to be going through such hell."  
  
"You're right about Trish," he agreed, "but I'm not so sure about myself. I think after all the shit I pulled in the past, I had it coming..."  
  
"Randy, don't say that," she pleaded, frowning deeply.  
  
With the way his emotions had been running lately, she didn't want him putting the blame on himself. He had enough feelings to deal with as it was... guilt did not need to be one of them.  
  
"Come on, Steph, think about it," he said, shaking his head. "All of the wrong doing I've done in the past, all the times I've chosen Paul over Trish and my other friends, all the times I've hurt people... it's all finally coming back to bite me in the ass. And its bitten me harder than I ever imagined possible."  
  
"I understand where you're coming from, trust me - I've lost a lot as a result of Paul, too. But you can't blame the whole entire situation on yourself because you made a mistake."  
  
"I know that, Stephanie, but I don't know who else to blame!" he replied, inadvertently raising his voice just enough to startle her. "At least if I'm putting myself at fault I have _someone_ I can be frustrated with... even if it is me."  
  
"I'll tell you who you can blame, Randy," Stephanie replied, her expression turning sour. "Blame Paul. All of this mess - every last bit of heartache and pain you've suffered in the past months - all of it is a direct result of things he did. You didn't attack Trish, Randy... Paul did."  
  
Randy nodded, and for a long while it looked as though he was considering her statement. His jaw dropped open a bit, and it looked as though he was going to speak, but he held his tongue, shaking his head. Noticing that he had nothing to say, Stephanie seized the opportunity to speak once more.  
  
"And mark my words, this will be the last stunt Paul ever pulls. He's a marked man now, and when the police find him, he's going to rot in jail for the rest of his goddamn life," she said, a look of fierce determination on her face.  
  
Shortly after they'd figured out that Paul had raped Trish, the brunette made more than a few phone calls. Paul had since gone missing, but police were on the lookout for him twenty four hours a day, and she knew in her heart that it would only be a matter of time before he was caught. Of course, her father refused to help them at all... he refused to believe that any of it had actually happened, ever after Stephanie had doctors speak to him. When it got to the point where he began to ignore his daughter's phone calls, she gave up on him. But Stephanie could care less... as far as she was concerned, she would hunt Paul Levesque down and throw him in jail with or without her father's aide.   
  
"That's if I don't find him first," Randy spoke eventually, drawing Stephanie back to their conversation. "Because if I do, there's no way that bastard will make it to jail alive. There's no way he'd make it there whole. If I find him, Stephanie, he's mine. And I'll make what he did to Trish look like a walk in the mother fucking park."  
  
Stephanie bit her tongue, opting to instead eye Randy in complete silence. Goosebumps covered her skin as she stared into his eyes, the intense, chilling glare in his blue orbs bordering frightening. She could tell by his tone that he was dead serious...  
  
And for Randy's own sake, she hoped the police got to Paul before he did.


	37. Part 37

**PART 37**

"Is she ready to go?"  
  
Adam's attention was dawn away from the blonde woman he was staring at. He turned his head slowly, discovering that the source of the voice that had spoken to him was Randy Orton. He shifted himself away from where he was standing, just in front of the window looking into Trish's hospital room. The young woman was just inside, and she was set to leave that afternoon. Adam had been visiting her when she asked him to excuse her so that she could be alone for awhile before getting her things together.  
  
"Yeah, I think she just wanted to be left alone for a few minutes while she got ready," he replied.  
  
Randy nodded, gazing past Adam and into the window. He could see Trish inside, putting some things together in a bag that Dawn Marie had brought for her. A lump formed in his throat as he watched her rise from the bed, a pained, visible limp in her step as she walked over to the bathroom. A moment after she stepped inside and closed the door behind her, he switched his gaze to Adam, whose green eyes were locked intently on him.  
  
"Randy..." Adam began, his gaze very serious, "...I have to say a few things to you..."  
  
"Adam, stop," Randy interrupted, tossing his hands up and shaking his head.  
  
He knew exactly where the blonde man was headed, and he didn't think he could handle it. His emotions were already beyond wrecked, and the thought of another heart to heart was unbearable.  
  
"Now's better than never, and I don't want to risk losing the chance of saying some things to you. You have to admit, there's a lot to be said," Adam reasoned.  
  
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Randy admitted after a brief silence. "But before you say anything, I want to thank you... for everything you've done."  
  
"Like punching your best friend and causing more than one scene in a matter of fourty-eight hours?" Adam questioned, and the two men laughed, though it was somewhat awkward. "Lets face it, Randy, I've done nothing to be thankful for."  
  
He seemed insistent, but Randy shook his head in disagreement.  
  
"Of course you have. You've been here since the moment we arrived, and you've done so much for Trish - and me, even if it was indirect - in the past few days alone," he said. Then, after a short pause, he continued, "And this goes back to even before all of this mess started. Whether or not you meant to, you've helped immensely in the decision I made to turn myself around, to get away from Paul."  
  
Adam was flattered by the younger man's comments, but he still disagreed. Maybe he had influenced Randy's decision to straighten himself out, but he most certainly hadn't done so in the most honorable way.  
  
"You mean, I helped influence your decision with my not so nice words, which I made sure to say to you time and time again?" he replied, chuckling again.  
  
Randy's gaze remained sincere as he shook his head again.  
  
"Hey, we've both said and done a lot of things recently that we probably regret. It's the nature of the beast, you know that. The point I'm trying to make is that your not so nice words really sunk in and made a big impact on me. So I wanted to thank you... in short, thanks for being an asshole towards me."  
  
Adam laughed, "Anytime." He looked away for a moment, a thoughtful gaze in his eyes, as though he was trying to process a thought into words. "You know, Randy, after all that's gone on these past few days, I can't for the life of me remember why I hated you in the first place. I don't feel like I'm talking to an enemy anymore. You're a good person, and as long as you promise to take care of her, I promise to be supportive of your relationship."  
  
"Adam, you have my solemn vow that I will love and take care of Trish Stratus, and I'll do so with every fiber of my being. And I thank you for your support... it means more to me than you'll ever know..." He trailed off, and at that moment they realized just how choked up the conversation had left them.  
  
Randy glanced up at Adam, who wore an expression identical to his. As crazy as the idea of them being friends would've sounded as soon as two weeks ago, that was exactly what they had become. In the past few days they had spent together at the hospital, he and Adam had grown closer than he and Paul Levesque - a man whom he once idolized - had ever been, and would ever be.  
  
"Ah, what the hell, come here..." Adam spoke again, opening his arms to Randy.  
  
Randy laughed, and with a shake of his head, he moved towards the Canadian, gratefully accepting his embrace.

------------------------------------  
  
_Mr McMahon, I need some time off,_ Randy rehearsed the line over and over again in his head, embedding the phrase into his brain. He stood pacing before the door to the chairman's office, trying to steady his breath before he went in there.  
  
He hated asking for time off, that was why he never did it. But desperate times called for desperate measures, and Randy desperately needed to be home with Trish while she recovered. They had only been home for two days before he had to leave her again, and walking out that door had to have been the hardest thing he'd ever had to do. There was no way he could it week in and week out, so he simply had to have some time off. However, Vince McMahon was not an easy person to deal with, and somehow Randy imagined it would be like pulling teeth to get him to agree to his request.  
  
Taking one last deep breath, he drew his hand from the pocket of his slacks and knocked on the door. Then, he pushed it open and went inside.  
  
"What?" Vince asked testily upon seeing him int he doorway.  
  
Randy frowned as he took note of the already annoyed expression on his boss's face.  
  
"Mr. McMahon, I have to talk to you about something," he voiced tentatively, placing his hands in the air as if to say he wasn't going to cause any trouble.  
  
"Well, make it quick, I've got work to do," he replied, and with a wave of his hand urged him to continue.  
  
Randy sighed, "Well, I came here to ask you for a favor. I was wondering if you could..."  
  
"Wait, wait, wait," Vince cut him off, shakin ghis head. He rose from his desk, walking over to Randy. Narrowing his eyes condescendingly at his young employee, Mr. McMahon went on, "A favor? You think you're in the position to be asking me for favors? Oh, that's rich. I'll tell you what, Randy... go ahead and humor me. Tell me what it is you want."  
  
"Look, I know you don't think very highly of me, but I _really_ need this. I was hoping that maybe you'd let me take some time off..." he said, pausing to take a breath. Before Vince got a chance to reply, Randy rushed to continue. "It'll only be a few weeks, three tops... but Vince, I need some time. I have to take care of Trish."  
  
"Let me get this straight," Vince replied, taking a step back. "You want me to give you time off so you can tend to Trish, who is responsible for me losing the best Superstar I've ever had?"  
  
"Trish isn't responsible for _anything_, and you know it. That bastard attacked her... you didn't lose a Superstar, Vince, you lost a criminal," Randy spat, scowling at the reference to Paul. "The point is, this is a crucial time in her recory, and she needs me. I've got to be with her now, please understand that."  
  
"I understand it perfectly," he nodded, "but what I don't understand is this. You say Trish needs you, and that you have to be with her. Well, Randy, if you had only been with her when this happened, she never would've gotten attacked... and she never would have gotten raped."  
  
Upon making his statement, a sly grin curled the lips of Vince McMahon, and he laughed. Randy, on the other hand, did not find a word of what he said to be amusing. His blood coming to a boil, he clenched his fists together, wanting nothing more than to punch the smug look right off of his face.  
  
Vince took notice of Randy's hands, which were clenched so tightly into fists that his knuckles were damn near white, and he rolled his eyes. He leaned towards the younger man, snatching his left hand swiftly.  
  
"If you even think about it," Vince warned, staring ominously into his eyes, "you can kiss your time off goodbye."  
  
Groaning, Randy pulled his hand away. He nodded, stepping back in retreat.  
  
"Okay, fine... do I have my time off?"  
  
Vince eyed him silently for a moment, appearing to be deep in thought. Only a second later, though, a sinister grin spread across his lips.  
  
"No..." he said, almost laughing as he watched a look of shock work its way onto Randy's face. "No, you may not..."


	38. Part 38

**PART 38**

Adam glanced up from where he was seated, his gaze falling on Trish, who was just across from him. Ever since Vince had denied Randy the time off he requested - time which Adam strongly felt he deserved - the two of them had been watching over Trish very closely. Randy knew he couldn't leave her alone, and since Vince refused to change his decision, making staying home with her not an option, he decided to bring her on the road with him.

She was nowhere near ready to be around work or people again - in fact, she refused to see anyone but him and Adam - but at least this way, he could be with her at all times. And in the few cases when he absolutely couldn't, he had Adam.

In the few moments he had stopped to think, Trish realized Adam was staring at her, and she frowned.

"What?" she asked, and Adam winced a little at the testiness in her voice.

Shrugging his shoulders, the blonde man replied, "Nothing... I was just thinking is all."

His frown deepened when she didn't respond; not a word, not a gesture. Sighing, he gave up, turning his attention back to the television. Before he could even remember what he was watching, Trish spoke.

"You don't have to be here," she told him bluntly. "I don't need a babysitter."

"Who said I was babysitting?" he asked, a little hurt by her remark. "I _want_ to be here, Trish."

Rolling her eyes, the Canadian diva shook her head. She knew exactly what was going on here, and she didn't like it one bit. Adam and Randy were taking turns with her, passing off the duties as though she were some baby that had been left on their doorstep. She had already lost enough of her independence thanks to Paul Levesque, and now it felt like she was throwing the rest away as well.

Adam drew his gaze back to her. He suspected that she might start acting this way. She had gone from being a very vibrant, fiercely independent woman, to a girl whose everyday existance depended on two other men. Though he knew the rebellious nature in which she spoke to him and Randy was natural, it still stung just a little. He hated seeing her like this.

"Look, Trish, I'm not..."

"Save it, Adam," she cut him off suddenly. "I know you don't have a problem being here with me. But I know you're only here as a favor to Randy, and he seems to have forgotten that I'm an adult."

Adam scoffed, hardening his gaze as best as he could manage. It was hard for him to pretend to dislike Randy anymore.

"First of all, I'm doing this for you, not him. I don't owe Randy Orton any favors..." he began, and despite the fact that he opened his mouth to speak again, Trish cut him short once more, throwing her hand in the air.

"You don't have to pretend you don't like him, Adam," she said, a soft half smile playing on her glossed lips. "I heard you two talking in the hospital, the day I was released. I don't see why you two insist on pretending that conversation never took place."

Adam's gaze dropped as his cheeks warmed, and he only hoped he wasn't blushing.

"The point is, I'm not here to babysit you. I'm only here because I care about you. And the fact of the matter, whether you like it or not, is that you don't want to be alone. And after what happened to you, I don't blame you one bit," he said sincerely, his breath coming out in a loud sigh.

"You just don't get it," Trish replied, and Adam's head darted up when he heard just how choked up her voice sounded. He felt his haert crumbling painfully as he met her eyes, plainly recognizing the tears filling them. "I don't think I even get it. I'm just so damn sick of sitting in these hotel rooms day and night, I'm sick of refusing to step out the door. I can't stand being inside here all the time, and if I see one more TV movie I think I'll snap..."

"Trish, you could change all that," Adam said, unable to hold back a wince as the first of Trish's tears fell from her eyes. "Nobody is keeping you here, honey. You want to leave, just say the word, and Randy and I will see to it that you do, with both of us at your side."

She turned away, the tears falling freely from her blurry eyes. Adam rose from his seat and headed toward her, the urge to comfort his best friend too strong to fight. He gingerly took a seat on the coffee table in front of the couch she sat on, reaching to her. He took her hand in his, his eyes closing painfully when she yanked out of his grasp.

"I'm scared!" she cried suddenly, causing both of them to jump. "I have never been so frightened in my entire life, and I hate myself for being this way! I'm letting myself waste away to nothing. I'm too damn scared to even step out the door of my hotel room. I'm so sick of feeling like shit, Adam... I just can't take it anymore..."

Her words ended in a sob, and Adam instinctively reached for her again. This time, however, she didn't pull away from him. Trish fell into his arms, the air deflating from her like a balloon as she pressed her head to his chest. Hugging her tightly, Adam placed a hand at the back of her neck, pushing his emotions aside, for her sake. He stroked his hand through her blonde locks, his tone matching the soothing manner in which his fingers ran through her hair.

"Shh, everything'll be alright," he promised, holding her close. "You'll get through this, Trish... we'll get through this."

Dawn glanced up at the man walking beside her, an inquisitive look on her face. She had bumped into Jay when the two of them returned to the hotel at the same time - she at a nearby store hoping to find some clothes for the shows, he having just finished working out at a local gym. And of course, gentleman that he was, he had insisted he walk her to her room. Dawn agreed, but only because she hadn't really spoken to him since they had been in the hospital.

"What?" he asked her, suddenly reminding her that she was staring.

"Jay... I'm worried about Trish," she said, keeping her gaze focused on him. "Adam was telling me earlier today that she called him at four in the morning asking him to come stay with her because Randy had run to the store to get something for her upset stomach."

Jay frowned, recalling Adam telling him that same story earlier that morning. He glanced down at Dawn Marie, a concerned look taking over his face.

"She's terrified of being alone, Dawn," he replied, a pang of sympathy hitting his heart for the blonde woman. He couldn't even begin to imagine what it had to feel like to be so scared. "The only way she makes it through the hours when both of them are at the arena is if one of them calls her every fifteen minutes."

"Then why won't she let us help, too?!" Dawn cried in response, a very frustrated look on her pretty face. "Adam and Randy can't do it alone, look at them... neither one of them has had a full night's sleep in the past week. Jay, do you realize I've called her eight times in the last four days, and she's not once returned any of them? I feel like I'm losing her..."

At that point, Jay stopped walking, stepping in front of her and halting her as well. He placed two consoling hands on the distraught-looking diva's shoulders, looking into her brown eyes.

"You're not losing her, Dawn. She's in a very bad way right now, but you know just as well as I do that Trish is a fighter. She'll pull through and when she's ready, she'll come back to you. Don't force it out of her, Dawn... let her come to you on her own."

Dawn looked up at Jay with a small smile, the blonde man seeming very wise at the moment. He was absolutely right. She couldn't force Trish to speak to her or see her, and she'd be a bad friend if she tried to do so.

"God, you're right, Jay," she said, as the two went on their way again. "I hate sitting by and watching, but if that's what's best for Trish, I'll sit by as long as I have to."

Jay sent her a warm smile, linking his arm through hers.

"You're a good friend, Dawnie," he said with a wink.

She giggled just a little, and then she stopped in her tracks. Glancing to the left, she gestured to one of the doors beside them.

"Oh, there's my room," she told him. "Thanks for the walk, Jay... and I didn't mind the pep talk, either."

ay winked at her again, releasing her arms from his so that she could get to her room. He strolled down the hall, tossing one last glance over his shoulder.

"Anytime, Dawn!" he called, and then he disappeared around the corner.

Dawn smiled to herself, pulling the key from the pocker of her jeans. Just as she was about to place the card in the slot, she heard a noise coming from the end of the hall, the end they had just come from. She turned her head in the direction of the noise, her brow raising curiously. Shaking her head, she shrugged it off, returning her attention to her hotel room door.

Then, her head darted up once more... there it was again! She looked to her side, and this time she saw something - rather, some_one_. Though the person ran past the corridor opening so fast they became nothing but a blur, the keycard fell from Dawn Marie's hand... she knew exactly who it was.


	39. Part 39

**PART 39**

Randy closed the door to Mr. McMahon's office, needing to use every ounce of his will power not to slam it shut. He was finding his boss more and more aggravating by the day. And it became more and more clear to him that Vince was just as annoyed with his young Superstar.  
  
Randy sighed, rubbing at his eyes. He felt guilty, even though he knew he had no reason to. But he couldn't help it... his relentless pursuit of having Paul Levesque fired for his actions put other people - namely, Dave Batista in a lot of trouble. Vince had explained to him only moments ago that he would not be firing Paul; he still believed with all his heart - if one could call the cold organ in his chest a heart at all - that his favorite Superstar was innocent of any crime. Instead, he was suspending him indefinitely, and would not be fired till after he was discovered and found guilty.  
  
However, he said that in order to assign Paul such a punishment, he'd have to do the same with Dave and Ric Flair. Randy knew it was only fair that all three men receive the same punishment; they all took part in attacking Trish. He just didn't like the idea of Dave being associated with those two lecherous excuses for men.  
  
"He's got to pay the price for what he did," he reminded himself with a sigh.  
  
He had to get over himself and gather his composure as best as he could, and then he had to head back to the hotel. Trish was waiting for him there. As he passed by a door, his gaze drifted inside, and he stopped. Trish would have to wait with Adam just a little while longer.  
  
Breathing in deeply, he made his way into the room, pausing in the doorway. Dave was just inside, tossing the last of his things in the bag at his feet. Randy cleared his throat, getting the big man's attention. When Dave turned to face his visitor, he frowned, noting the sympathetic look on his friend's face.  
  
"Randy, don't even start," he instructed, throwing a hand to the air in protest. "I don't want to hear it. I will not let you feel guilty over this."  
  
Randy frowned as well, his expression matching the one on his best friend's face. Despite the strength in his voice, Randy knew Dave's heart wasn't as sincere as it was trying to be.  
  
"I know, I know..." he agreed, raising his hands in retreat. "I just wish it didn't have to end this way... I didn't want to see you get suspended."  
  
Dave shrugged, casting his glance to a far off corner of the room.  
  
"I deserve what I'm being handed, Randy. I'm lucky that right now all I have to worry about is a suspension. I only hope a jury - I can't even begin to worry about God, or Trish - will have mercy on me."  
  
Randy's lip began to quiver, and he bit down on it quickly, preventing any signs of emotion from bursting through. His hopes were that the people would see through Dave's actions and behavior that he was not like Ric Flair or Paul Levesque. He was just a good man, who had been thrown into a horrible scheme before he even got a chance to think it over. The fact that he had already turned himself in - he had been promptly released upon paying a hefty bail - while Paul and Ric had gone into hiding had to stand for something.  
  
"Look, I'll let you finish," Randy said after a brief, somewhat awkward silence. "I just wanted to say goodbye... and good luck."  
  
"Well, thanks, Randy, I appreciate it. I really appreciate it," Dave replied, managing a half smile for his best friend.  
  
Randy's lips curled up just slightly, and he turned away, stopping to turn back after one foot was out the door.  
  
"And Dave..." he began, waiting for the big man's head to snap up before he continued. "Just remember that no matter what happens, I have love for you. I've got your back, man... and so does Trish. Somehow, she understands."  
  
Dave simply nodded, but for the first time in a long while, he genuinely smiled. Randy gave him a quick nod, and was set to be on his way - till he was nearly bowled over by a blur of brunette hair. Having been knocked so off balance he nearly fell to the ground, Randy hastily grabbed a hold of the door handle. He propped himself up, cocking an eyebrow as the blur came to a halt between himself and Dave, and he immediately recognized it as Dawn Marie. In a moment's time, the two men were at her side, anxious to know exactly why she had barged into the locker room.  
  
"What?! What is it?" Dave asked, concern filling his eyes as he watched the gorgeous woman before him gasp for breath.  
  
Taking a hold of one of either man's arms, Dawn took a few deep breaths. She took a moment to catch her breath, all the while thinking to herself how relieved she was to have found him.  
  
"Oh, you guys, we have to get to the hotel! I was just... when I saw him, I... I wanted to tell Trish, but I figured by the time I got your room number from the front desk Trish might not even answer the door, and then it would've been a huge waste of time," she explained, seemingly all in one breath.  
  
The two men, both of whom Dawn Marie still clung too, glanced at each other in confusion.  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?" Randy questioned, his voice sounding a bit frantic.  
  
Dawn's eyes widened as Randy questioned her, and she suddenly realized that she had left out one very crucial detail.  
  
"It's Paul," she said, her eyes wide with fright. "Paul Levesque is in the hotel."  
  
Despite the sour mood she had been in for much of the week, Trish smiled. She had finally gotten back a piece of her independence. Soon after the breakdown of sorts she had with Adam, the blonde re-learn how to be a functioning adult.  
  
Of course, doing so would have to happen in small, very small, steps. And Trish decided her first step would be to walk Adam back to his room, and then to head to the hotel lobby to get herself some coffee. It was a small task, but to Trish, who hadn't been out in a public place alone since she was in the hospital, it opened up the doors to her freedom. Sure, she had only gotten herself a cup of coffee, but she finally got herself out of that room; and by herself, no less.  
  
Still, as she continued the walk back to her room, her confidence was dwindling. The halls seemed to become longer and more narrow with each step, and her pace was quickening visibly. So much so, in fact, that she had to force herself to slow down because the coffee had begun to spill out of the styrofoam cup. She had done well up until this point, but now she wanted nothing more than to be back in her hotel room. At least in there, she didn't feel the constant need to look over her shoulder.  
  
Luckily, she was very close to her room, and she reached the door within the next minute. With a sigh, Trish held her coffee in her left hand, digging around for the keycard with her right. Not a moment after she had stepped in the door, Trish caught a glimpse of a shadow just behind her. Her stomach dropped as she slowly turned around, paranoia settling in.  
  
Her eyes widened as she recognized the person behind her. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out. Instead, the only sound heard was the coffee splashing on the floor, the cup having slipped from her hand.  
  
"Isn't it ironic - and a damn shame, at that - that I managed to invade the one place you felt safe?" he said, a maniacal grin on his face.  
  
"H-how did you get in here?" she asked him, her body beginning to shake with each breath she took.  
  
"I have ways of getting whatever I want, even if I am a fugitive," Paul said with a wink. He moved closer to her, smirking as he noticed that Trish was too terrified to move. He stopped just before her, laughing at the tears that filled her eyes as he took a few locks of her soft hair between his fingers. "But you already knew that, didn't you?"  
  
Two tears slipped from her eyes, one of them happening to slide off her cheek and land on Paul's forearm. He pulled his hand back, examining the tear on his arm closely. Then, smile still spread across his lips, he wiped the moisture off onto his shirt.  
  
Trish remained still, her eyes following his movements. Once again, she had found herself in a situation where a door was so nearby, and yet she was too paralyzed with fear to try and escape.  
  
"What do you want?" she asked him roughly, though her expression was nowhere near as fearless or demanding as her tone.  
  
Paul laughed to himself, taking Trish by the arm. He squeezed her arm a bit, smirking as her knees buckled from the pressure.  
  
"Oh, honey, I was sure you'd be smarter than that. I'm sure you know just as well as I do... you and I have some unfinished business to attend to."


	40. Part 40

**A/N: I'm so sorry it's taken so long since the last update. I just started school about 2 weeks ago, and I've been swamped with work, so I haven't gotten to write anything lately. But, I hope to get the next chapter up quicker than this one, so keep an eye out!**

Paul had begun to circle around Trish, staring her down as he paced around her like a vulture. Still frozen, the Canadian diva hadn't so much as moved a muscle. She wasn't even sure she could move, she certainly hadn't dared to try.

"Paul, I... you..." she stopped speaking abruptly, suddenly realizing that no words were forming in her head.

It was like her entire body - brain, nerves, muscles and all - had gone into shock, and as a result it was shutting down. The terror in Trish's eyes, and the scent of fear that practically dripped off of her delighted Levesque all the more. He paused behind her, dipping his head down so that it was just short of resting on her shoulder. He placed his hand on her other arm, snickering as her muscles jumped and then grew tight as a result of his touch.

"What's the matter, Trish?" he asked, his tone showing anything but concern. "Scared?"

She bit her lip, knowing full well she would scream if she didn't. The daily pains she still had in her midsection reminded her all too well of what would happen if she screamed. Still, a small whimper slipped through her pursed lips as he spoke to her, his hot breath warming her neck, and not in a comforting fashion.

Sliding out of his grasp, Trish turned to face him. Unable to look him in the eye, her gaze locked directly ahead of her, level with his chest. She became aware of the fact that they had switched places, with him being the one nearer to the door, and she moaned. How had she managed to get herself in this situation again?

"Come on now, honey, I asked you a question," he said, stepping towards her. "Are you scared?"

_Yes,_ she thought to herself. _Oh God, yes._ She hated herself at the moment, and at the fact that she was so terrified. And what was worse, she knew that Paul could sense it on her. He picked up fear on others as though it were a heavy perfume.

Holding herself steady, Trish forced her gaze up, freezing when she caught a glimpse of his face. Her eyes narrowed as she stared into his, the cruel, sadistic orbs bringing out a new emotion in her. She placed a hand over her stomach, and she came to the conclusion that, above all else, she was angry. As she stood before her attacker, staring him dead in the eye, rage coursed through her body.

All the pain, all the grief she had experienced as of late was because of _him_. He was the reason she was afraid to be alone at night, the reason she was plagued by nightmares. The only reason why she was afraid to be touched, afraid to be even glanced at, was because of this rotten individual. With each passing second, fright drained from her body and was replaced with an even more intense amount of rage.

What could almost be conceived as a half smile curled up her lips. Her eyes still locked on him, Trish took a page right out of her boyfriend's in-ring playbook, mustering up all the saliva she could manage and releasing it, spitting right in his smug face.

It was uncharacteristic of her, and unladylike no less, but he didn't deserve a lady. As far as Trish was concerned, the bastard didn't even deserve her spit. A satisfied smirk spread across her face, the young woman experiencing a distinct feeling of pride for herself. Somehow, she had put her fear behind her and taken control of the situation.

However, she wasn't counting on Paul to react, and react he did. A deep growl was released from within him, the sound bellowing up from the bottom of his throat. In a movement to rapid for her to see, let alone react to, he grabbed both of her hands, his own clenched tightly around her wrists. He pushed forward, forcing the much smaller blonde woman backwards.

"You little brat..." he grumbled at her, his breathing becoming heavy with the amount of anger coursing through him. "Didn't anyone teach you any fucking manners?"

His eyes narrowed viciously at Trish, his blood seething. He didn't believe she'd have the audacity to speak, much less spit in his face. He didn't think the bitch had it in her.

Though she couldn't deny that some of the uneasiness had worked its way back into her system, Trish stood her ground.

"I could ask you the same question, you little prick," she spoke through clenched teeth.

Backing away from her slightly, Paul narrowed his gaze at her. Her personality had changed so much since he last saw her, even in the past few minutes, it had him in a state of shock. Did he no longer intimidate her? If that was the case, his entire plan would be in ruins. He was counting on her to be afraid...

Wait a minute, what was he thinking? He could read Trish Stratus like a book. She was acting _exactly_ as she had the night he raped her. She could talk tough all she wanted, make wise remarks till she turned purple - it was all a facade, nothing but a damn act. In fact, one more step in her direction and she'd be shaking all over again.

Without another moment of hesitation, Paul lunged at her. As he grabbed onto her, Trish screamed, though her shriek was moreso out of shock then fear. She was knocked completely off balance by the force with which he collided with her, and the pair fell to the floor, her tailbone roughly bumping off the ground. She let out another yelp, this time in pain. Paul landed directly on top of her, his weight nearly crushing the tiny blonde.

Trish gasped for air, the wind having been knocked from her both by hitting the floor and from having Paul's weight crash down on her. He laughed sadistically as she writhed and fought from beneath him, clawing desperately at his face as she scrambled to get away.

Face to face, when things were still in conversation, Trish knew she could handle Paul. He didn't have the brain power to outwit her. But when things turned physical, the story changed completely. Now she was no match for him.

"Somebody help!" she cried breathlessly, relentlessly pounding at his chest.

Paul still did nothing, simply smiled down at her as she continued to swing at him, her blows having little to no effect on him. He debated how long he would humor himself on this, before he attacked.

Before he got a chance to contemplate, the door - which she had unconsciously left open - swung wide open. In a flash, the person who had charged into it drew their foot in the air, delivering a swift kick to the back of Paul's head before he could even turn around. The large man groaned, his weight dropping atop of Trish, who in turn looked up at her savior in amazement.

"Randy!" she cried, her eyes widening as she gazed up at her boyfriend. She had never been so happy to see him in her life.

Randy burst to her side, giving Levesque a good shove and knocking the burly man off of her. He dropped to his knees at her side, taking her hand in his as he frantically looked her over.

"Shit, Trish... are you okay? Did he hurt you?" he questioned her immediately, his blue eyes full of worry.

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" she assured him, squeezing his hand tightly. Truth was, she may have broken her tailbone, but at this point, she didn't want to stall him any further. "Just help me up so we can get out of here!"

Nodding, Randy took her other hand as well, propping himself up on his knees. However, in the time he had taken to check on Trish, Paul had shaken off the cobwebs placed in his brain by Randy's swift kick, and he was to his feet. He dove at the younger man, sailing right over Trish and practically landing in Randy's lap. The two men began brawling right away, and it was apparently after only a few moments that Paul had the upper hand. He was just too strong.

With a few gasps of pain, she managed to slide over to the door, leaning against the wall as she watched helplessly. Tears slid down her cheeks as she watched Paul Levesque mercilessly beat into the man she loved. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen...

Trish placed a hand in front of her face, shielding her eyes from the horrible sight before her. As she heard the groans of pain coming from Randy, she squeezed her eyes shut, placing her hands over her ears. She kept them that way for what felt like an eternity, removing the hands she clamped tightly around her head only when she heard him speak.

"Go get help!" he screamed. He may have been ballsy enough to burst into the room, but he was no idiot. He could not overpower Paul alone.

Trish's eyes snapped open, and she noticed with relief that Randy had begun to fight back. Momentarily forgetting about her pain, she sprung up from the floor, flinging the door open and speeding out into the hall.


	41. Part 41

**PART 41**

There was a painfully obvious limp in Trish's step, her pace having slowed down considerably since she had escaped from the hotel room. She had definitely done some damage to her tailbone. And unlike any other injury she had experienced recently, the pain did not dwindle with time. In fact, the sharp, piercing sensation in her lower back got agonizingly worse by the second.

Tossing a glance over her shoulder, she kept moving down the hall, forcing herself to speed up. She leaned her weight towards the wall, using it as a support to help her move along. She suddenly recalled why she was in such a hurry in the first place. She needed to find help.

Increasing her pace even more, Trish bit her lip, a look of anguish on her face as a fresh tear slid down her cheek. She had to find help for Randy... but her body seemed to be giving up on her...

Coming to an abrupt stop, Trish fell to her knees, a soft cry escaping her lips. She fell to the floor; one hand gripping the wall, the other at the small of her back. Her chest heaved in and out as she fought for breath, and her mind was screaming at her to get up, to ignore the pain and to press on.

She blinked, and then turned her head. As if her luck could get any worse...

Somehow, Paul had managed to stall Randy long enough to get away, and now the bastard was following her!

"Shit!" she cried to herself as he placed a foot in front of the other, stepping towards her.

He continued to do so, moving quicker and quicker till Trish finally k to reality and realized he was coming after her. Once again, frantic overpowered pain and she hopped up off the floor, running off again. Paul was not far in tow. This couldn't really be happening. The events leading up to this moment had her feeling like she had become part of a horror movie.

He was gaining on her, she could sense it. Hell, she could practically feel him breathing behind her. If that didn't put an extra bounce in her step, nothing would. She hung a left around a corner, and in doing so got a terrible cramp in her left side. Clutching her hip in pain, she bent down, having no choice but to stop. Paul easily caught up with her, grabbing one of her arms and holding her to the wall.

"You can't escape me, Trish," he told her through pants. "And with your little boyfriend out of the way, I'm thinking no one is going to save your pretty little behind now."

"Think again..."

Paul's jaw dropped slightly at the sound of the familiar voice. He loosened his grip on Trish's arm, slowly turning to his side, where he was met with a pair of cold eyes. He should have known.

"Now Dave," he began, his voice reasoning with Batista, "think about what you're doing. You don't want to turn your back on me."

Trish's eyes widened upon seeing Dave Batista, who was only a few steps away. She didn't know whether to be relieved he was there, or scared out of her wits.

Apparently, Dave sensed Trish's uneasiness - which he had no doubt was a result of his presence - and he made a conscious effort to make his intentions clear.

"Before I think about doing anything, Paul, I highly suggest you let the lady go," he said, narrowing his eyes at his former leader.

Paul snorted at his comment, tossing his nose in the air. Nobody gave him orders.

"Who do you think you're talking to?" he challenged, his icy glare matching the one he received from Batista.

"I'm talking to a man whose fingers will be severed from his hand if he doesn't let go of the woman he's holding on to," Dave threatened, his tone more than a little serious.

Once again, Paul laughed his comment off. Most people would be scared by such a threat coming from such a large man, but not him. He wasn't afraid of Dave, no matter how frightening he could be. After all, he had created the monster in him.

"Don't try to scare me, Dave. Your threats mean nothing to me. Don't forget, you wouldn't have it in you to 'sever' any fingers without me. I made you, and I sure as hell can break you," Paul warned, pointing a finger at him.

Dave's gaze remained steady, and he a took in step toward him. It bothered him to see Trish jump upon sensing his movement, but he didn't let it show. He came right up to Levesque, pressing his forehead to his.

"You don't intimidate me," he said dangerously, his tone a bit chilling even to Paul. "Maybe you did give me the power to raise hell, but I'm no longer your monkey. I have the ability to do with my strength whatever I want... and I'm thinking I want to tear you apart."

Suddenly feeling threatened, Paul gave Dave a good shove, catching the larger man off balance and sending him backwards. He let go of Trish, diving towards Batista and taking him down with a spear. Another rumble ensued; only this time, Paul lost control of the battle a lot more quickly. In a matter of moments, Batista was on top of him, nailing him with rights.

Trish remained where she was, watching with wide eyes as the scene unfolded before her. She couldn't believe that the commotion hadn't drawn anyone out of their hotel rooms by now. The two men struggled to their feet, locking arms as they began to scream in each other's faces.

At some point Paul got a good control over what he was doing, and he gave Dave a hard shove. The larger back stumbled backwards, inadvertantly bumping into Trish. The Canadian diva dropped to the floor, gasping as the big man began to topple over. Luckily, Dave caught himself with his arms, most of his weight falling onto them and not Trish's torso.

Still, tripping had left Dave prone to attack, and Paul seized the opportunity to kick him in the stomach. Batista groaned, grabbing his midsection with a pained grimace. Trish slid away from them as best she could, brushing the hair out of her face as she tried to think of what to do. Fortunately, she didn't have to come up with a conclusion.

Seemingly out of nowhere, a fourth person entered the hall, diving onto Levesque and knocking him to the floor. Trish's stomach dropped with relief as she noticed that Randy had caught up with them, joining in the fight with his best friend.

While Paul had been stronger than Randy, and an equal match for Dave, there was no way he could compete with both men. Trish watched as her boyfriend pummeled the man who had raped her, a distinct sense of pride bubbling within her with each blow he delivered. Soon enough, Dave was to his feet and helping Randy, and not long after the two had him pinned to the floor, gasping for air.

What could be conceived as a smile turned Trish's lips up, her gaze locked on Dave and Randy, who were more or less beating the shit out of Paul.

"Hey, Randy, let up on him," Dave warned, watching as Levesque's eyes began to roll back in his head. "You're going to kill him."

Randy paused, taking a moment to glance up at Dave. He shook his hand, laughter emitting from the bottom of his throat.

"Good..." he muttered, taking another swing at him.

The way he saw things, Paul would be lucky to die. He didn't want to sound like a killer, though; he was not out to kill Paul. He simply wanted to beat him within an inch of his life, allow him to regain some of his strength, and then to do it all over again. After what he did to Trish, all the suffering he caused his poor angel, he deserved nothing less.

"Randy... Randy, just stop..."  
  
Trish twirled her head around, the sound of a new voice coming from behind her drawing her attention away from the fight. For the umpteenth time, her eyes widened, this time in relief.

Stephanie McMahon had emerged from her hotel room, her cell phone in hand. She had apparently been listening to the entire event go down, as her eyes immediately narrowed on her ex-fiance. She boldly walked over to the pile of men, gesturing for Randy to back off. Dave pulled his friend up, holding him steady as the brunette dropped to her knees, coming to rest before Paul's fallen body.

"I called the police, Paul," she said, having great satisfaction in being the bearer of such news. "It's all over..."


	42. Part 42

**A/N: Again, I'm so sorry its taking me so long in between updates, but I've been so busy lately I literally have NO time to write. Thanks for sticking by the story even with the delays, I really appreciate it! Hope this chapter makes up for lost time! **

**Part 42**

The hallway which had only minutes earlier been a scene of total chaos was now still. Anyone who would happen to pass through now would never have guessed that the silent corridor had just been full of insanity. The group of people that had filled that area just outside of Stephanie's hotel room had formed in front of the building, surrounded by swat cars.

From a safe distance, Stephanie watched - Chris, who had just joined the group, by her side - as Paul Levesque was shoved into the back of a squad car, the burly man all the while screaming obscenities at the officers arresting him. She had seen similar outbursts of his before; however, she was normally the one being hollered at. A wide grin lit up her face as two officers hopped in the car with Paul. They drove off, and when the car passed by them and Paul glared out at them in disgust, Stephanie's grin only widened.

"Take a good look at him, Steph," Chris spoke, squeezing her hand. "That's the last time you'll be seeing that bastard's mug for a long while."

She turned to her husband, offering him a smile as she threw her arms around him. Her grin was contagious, Chris discovered as a smile formed on his own lips as well. He wrapped his arms around her, placing a kiss to her collarbone as he rested his head on her shoulder.

"He won't be missed," she said, lifting her head a bit to gaze out at the car, which was now only a small dot in the distance as it sped away.

She tried to calm herself down, but she just couldn't. She was elated, absolutely ecstatic to know that Paul would finally be brought to justice. The ear-to-ear grin would just have to say.

"Come on," Chris said to her, pushing himself back a bit. "Let's get back inside."

Tossing one last glance in the direction the police car had driven in, Stephanie nodded. As the pair turned back to the hotel, the brunette's eyes widened, a gasp slipping from her lips as she bumped into the last person she thought she'd see.

-------------------------------------

Meanwhile, only about fifty yards away from where Stephanie and Chris stood, Trish sat on a bench, watching with tear-filled eyes as Randy shared some final words with Dave. Randy had asked him to stay just a day longer, but Dave had refused, insisting that he had already well overstayed his welcome since having been suspended only hours earlier.

She didn't want to interrupt their discussion - which was why she was sitting in the first place - but at the same time, it was breaking her heart. Both men looked so sad, their expressions alone tore her to pieces. Trish sighed as the two men said their final goodbye, for the time being at least. They locked arms in a tight embrace before Dave turned away to go to his car. His bags were already loaded in the trunk.

As he walked away, Dave shot one last peek over his shoulders... this time not at Randy, but at Trish. The single glimpse along encompassed every single emotion he had been feeling from the night Paul attacked Trish till that very moment. And though she would always be a little uneasy around him, Trish knew his heart was in the right place. She sent him a look in return that sad - despite the drama, the hurt, and all the betrayal she had once felt - all was forgiven. Everything was okay, and Dave smiled.

When Randy realized that Batista was not looking at him, he turned around, suddenly remembering that Trish was behind him. Taking a deep breath, he approached her, extending his hand. Trish took Randy's hand in hers, rising gingerly - her tailbone still ached like hell. They stared at each other in silence for a long moment, and then Randy pulled her to him. He locked her tightly in his arms, running his fingers through her soft blonde hair, and he sighed.

-------------------------------------

"Dad?" Stephanie breathed, her eyes widening in amazement.

Sure enough, her father stood before her, both of his hands in the pockets of his slacks. And if she didn't know him any better, she would have guessed that he looked guilty. Her brow raised curiously at the sigh of him... it was the first time she had stood face to face with him in so long.

From just behind her, her husband's eyes narrowed.

"Whatever it is you want, Vince, make it quick," Chris spoke through clenched teeth. "We don't have all day to stand around and chat with you, as much as I'm sure we'd love to."

Almost immediately after finishing his statement, Chris took a step forward, pulling on Stephanie's arm. To his surprise, the brunette didn't budge, her feet planted firmly on the ground.

When Vince saw that his daughter had frozen, he seized the opportunity to speak, worrying that if he didn't do so right away, he'd lose the chance.

"Please, Stephanie, I just want you to hear what I have to say," he pleaded, reaching out to her. "I think I have a lot of explaining to do."

As he placed his hand on her arm, Stephanie jerked back. Part of her was curious to hear what he had to say. There was no doubt in her mind that she deseved an explanation for the hell he put her through. But did he deserve the chance to explain? He had never given her a chance in her entire life. Did she really owe him anything?

"I'm not sure I want to hear your explanation," she said truthfully.

"Stephanie, please," Vince said, his tone sold imploring it almost sounded as though he would die if he didn't get the opportunity to speak with her. "I know how horribly I've messed up... I just want you to see that."

Though she was skeptical, Stephanie nodded her head. She wanted to hear him apologize. She wanted to hear him beg for forgiveness, so she could laugh right in his face the way he used to do to her.

"Okay, fine. I'll give you five minutes," she said, glancing down at her watch.

Vince exhaled loudly, the air releasing from his body with relief. Not wasting a moment of his time, he began to speak.

"Look, I know you're going to think I'm crazy, but I need you to forgive me, Steph," he said, looking her in the eye. "I know you don't want to, and I know I've done nothing to earn your forgiveness, but please... I only want you to see that, despite the way I've acted, I do love you..."

"Oh, this is precious..." Chris muttered, a little more loudly than he'd originally intended. Both Stephanie and her father heard his comment, and she sighed, turning to face him.

"Chris, just go back to the room... I'll meet you there soon," she instructed, pointing to the entrance of the hotel. Chris's eyes widened in shock, but he left her with Vince when she insisted he leave. "Go."

She turned back to Vince, eyeing him blankly. So many emotions were running through her at the moment, but she'd let none of them become noticeable.

"You were saying?"

"Oh, yes... I just... I need your forgiveness, Steph. Of all the things I've done to make people suffer, of all the people I've hurt in the past, you're the most important to me. You're my daughter... I don't know what I was thinking in trusting Paul over you," he insisted, his gaze lowering to the pavement.

"You're arrogant, Dad," Stephanie reminded him rather bluntly. "You like people who boost your ego and tell you everything you want to hear, and that's exactly what Paul did. I understand why you liked him. What I don't understand is what I did to make you disown me. Do you have any idea what it was like for me, to hear my father tell me I was an ungrateful bitch? To practically disown me? To back me so far into a corner that I had no other choice but to sabotage my own wedding?"

"I don't know..." was all he could come up with. There were no words that could ever justify all he had put her through. "I just don't know what I was thinking. I've done such horrible things to you, to our family... I know Shane will never speak to me again. Your mother will never love me the way she did when we met. But you, I feel like I still have a chance with you, Steph. I need to make things right between us, but I can't do so without your forgiveness."

He had a way with words, that was one thing of which Stephanie was certain. But you could never tell whether or not he was telling the truth. He had an uncanny ability to lie through his teeth, and at the same time inject enough emotion to make his statements believable. But not to her. She'd never believe another word that came from his mouth for the rest of her life.

"I don't know," she repeated his response to her previous statement, a little bit more hesitance in her own than in his.

"Stephanie," he begged once more. "I love you, and I'm so sorry. Please, just please forgive me."

She thought long and hard about it, and she was sure she stood in silence for even longer than the five minutes she had agreed to stay out there with him. He seemed genuine... but she could never know. She went back and forth for awhile, and then finally, she made up her mind. Come to think of it, she had probably known her answer all along.

"I love you too, Dad... but I'll never be able to forgive you."

Instead of waiting around for his response, Stephanie simply walked away. For the first time in her life, their roles had reversed. She had fought her entire life for her father's affection, and now that she finally had it, it was no longer worth it. Time had soured its appeal.

Still, as she stepped into the hotel lobby, a smile harbored on her face. One chapter of her life had closed, and another was about to open.


	43. Part 43

**PART 43**

"Adam?" Jay called as he pushed open the bathroom door of the hotel room he shared with his best friend.

He had been searching all over the place for Adam, who hadn't been answering his phone. He knew it was probably because he had simply turned his phone off, but Jay's stomach wouldn't settle until he found him. Too much had happened in the past for him to let anything slide.

After calling his name one more time, Jay sighed, deciding that Adam was not in their hotel room. Just as he was about to make some phone calls, he heard a faint noise coming from behind him. He turnd around to find Adam, who was standing out on the balcony. Trish Stratus was with him.

Jay remained still, debating over whether or not he should join them. He didn't want to interrupt if they were in the middle of an important conversations. After a few short moments, he stepped over to the door, sliding it open and joining them.

They nodded hello to him, and before he could even respond to their greeting, Trish spoke.

"I better be going," she said, glancing up at Adam.

Jay frowned... he knew he shouldn't have intruded.

"No, Trish, stay," he insisted, placing his hand in the air as if to protest. "I'll leave if you're having a private conversation. I just wanted to tell Adam that Kurt's been looking for him."

He turned for the door, but Trish cut him off, sliding past him.

"No, really Jay, it's fine. I have to go meet up with Dawn Marie, anyway. I'll see you two later," she said, giving the two Canadians a final lookover before showing herself out.

Once she was gone, Jay send an apologetic look Adam's way.

"Sorry about that, man," he said sincerely. "If I'd known she'd leave I wouldn't have come out in the first place."

"Don't worry about it," Adam replied with a shrug. "Our conversation was pretty much over with anyway."

Jay frowned, his eyebrow raising slightly. Something wasn't right... Adam's tone was so half-hearted, and his expression was so blank...

"Is everything alright?" Jay questioned him with concern.

Adam had been practically overjoyed when he learned of Paul's arrest the previous day. He seemed to have done a complete 180 since then.

"Yeah, everything's fine," Adam responded plainly. He glanced at Jay, elaborating when his friend sent him a look that said his answer was not good enough. "It's just a little weird, that's all. That's what Trish and I were talking about."

"What do you mean it's weird? What's weird?" Jay asked him, puzzled.

Adam sighed, running his fingers through his blonde locks.

"Everything," he replied with a shrug. "For the first time in months, we don't have to watch our backs. There's nothing to guard ourselves from anymore."

Jay's brow raised slightly. For someone who no longer had to be on the defense, Adam sure didn't look very pleased.

"I don't understand... isn't that a good thing?" he asked.

"Well, yeah," Adam nodded in agreement, "but that doesn't mean it won't be awkward. When you've lived one way for so long, a switch isn't easy, even if it is for the better."

Their conversation fell into silence, and Jay studied his best friend closely. Something still wasn't right. There had to be more to it then he had let on to... he looked absolutely lost.

"Come on, Adam, snap out of it," he said, grabbing the taller man's arm and giving it a jerk.

Adam sighed, finally managing to tear his gaze away from the sky. Sometimes he hated the fact that Jay could read his emotions so well.

"I really don't know," he admitted, glancing down at him. "I should be happy - deep down, I am happy - but at the same time something isn't right. With Paul gone, all of this is over. And in the strangest way, I'll miss it."

"Have you gone insane?" Jay asked him, an incredulous look on his face. "You're going to miss the complete hell you lived in? All the shit that Trish had to go through, that Randy had to go through... that all of us went through... you're going to _miss_ it?"

"That's not what I mean, Jay," Adam cut him off, his voice surprisingly calm. Jay took a step back, eyeing his friend as though he'd gone off the deep end. Maybe he had. "Of course I won't miss that aspect. But think about it, all of us - myself, Trish, Randy, you, Dawn, Chris, Stephanie... we were all brought so close because of this. We all needed each other to survive, but what about now? Maybe I am insane... but I don't like the idea of everyone drifting apart now that it's over."

"Adam, that's not going to happen," Jay assured him. "Maybe it took heartache and struggle to bring us all together, but nothing is going to pull us apart now."

"You're probably right," Adam agreed, though his gaze dropping to the floor said otherwise. "But I can't shake the feeling. Even talking with Trish just now, I could feel it. Things are not going to be the same. As happy as I am that it's over and we can all move on, I don't want to lose her."

"Adam Copeland, shut your mouth."

The two men turned around upon hearing a third voice, just then realizing that Trish was still standing in the doorway. Apparently, she had never even left, and had been listening to their entire conversation. She stepped out the door, giving each of the two men a onceover before speaking again.

"Now that I think about it, I would like to finish our conversation... if that's alright with you, I mean," she said, her eyes fixed on Jay's.

A tiny smile played on his lips, and he nodded in an instant.

"It's perfectly fine," he agreed, nodding goodbye to both individuals before making himself scarce.

Adam watched until Jay had completely disappeared from the hotel room. Only once the door had closed behind him did he shift his gaze to Trish, a somewhat sheepish look in his green eyes.

"I thought you were meeting up with Dawn," he said, in what he knew would be a futile attempt to change the subject.

"Nice try," she said with a laugh. "I've made her wait this long, another twenty minutes won't kill her."

"I guess it was worth a shot," he said, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

Trish frowned, placing her hands on her hips as she stood before him.

"Now, about what you told Jay... why didn't you say any of that to me?" she asked him, a look almost of hurt laced within her dark brown eyes.

Biting his lip gently, Adam sighed again.

"You have enough to deal with," he shrugged, his gaze once again finding his feet. "I don't want to add any unnecessary stress."

"There has never been a time in my life where I considered you or your feelings to be stressful, Adam," Trish said firmly. "Whatever thoughts are floating around in your head about us drifting apart, get them out. I would hope you know me well enough to know that I would never do that."

"Not intentionally you wouldn't, and I know that," he said, lifting his gaze to hers. "But that doesn't mean it can't happen."

"I won't let it happen," she assured him, pulling his hand from his pocket and wrapping her own around his. "Just because I may not need you to physically protect me anymore does not mean I don't need you. I'll always need you, Adam. Promise me right now that you won't forget that."

For a split second, a smile crossed Adam's lips. Her tone was so firm, so strong. She sounded like the old Trish, the one he loved so dearly. He hadn't heard her speak that way in months.

"I won't forget it, Trish," he said, giving her hand a squeeze.

"I said promise me."

Lowering himself down to her height, Adam pressed his forehead against hers. He couldn't understand why he ever doubted her in the first place. He pressed his lips to her nose, kissing it gently before sending a smile that matched the one she sent him.

"I promise."

**A/N: Originally I had planned for this to be the last chapter, and I wrote it as such. Then I realized that I wanted this scene to be more focused on Adam and Trish instead of the story as a whole, so the fic continues! LOL, hopefully that explains the delay, hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	44. Part 44

**A/N: Okay, this is the final chapter. :( I have to admit, I'm a little upset that this story is coming to an end! I cannot thank you all enough for the amazing response this story has gotten, you've made it so worth taking the time to write it. Every single review means so much to me but I especially have to give a shoutout to Tess and Jen, you girls have been my BIGGEST motivation in writing this story!, thank you all so much! Hope you enjoy the last chapter, don't hesitate to leave your opinions. Thanks again!!**

**PART 44**

After what had been the longest day she had in awhile, Trish was ready for bed. She had remained at Adam's for almost another hour, and then made good on her promise to meet up with Dawn Marie.

They had originally planned to go out and grab something to eat, but they decided against it. Trish was still a little leery of being out in public, and Dawn figured the two of them would get more talking done in the privacy of her hotel room. Later in the evening, Stephanie McMahon joined them. The three ladies had a very relaxing time, catching up on each other's lives _aside _from all the drama. Trish remembered how good it felt to have some female companionship for once.

Yawning tiredly, she stepped into her hotel room, her eyes immediately searching for the clock.

"What a joke," she laughed at herself, shaking her head.

Here she was, ready to about crawl into the bedroom, and it was only nine o'clock. Her metabolism had dropped so terribly lately. Still, she was all smiles. Her life seemed to be getting back on track, a prospect that only days earlier she would have considered impossible.

That was not to say she didn't have a long way to go. She was not going to kid herself. Recovering from such a traumatizing situation would take some serious time, and there were some aspects of her life that would just never be the same. She knew that there would not be a day in her life where she wouldn't feel the need to glance over her shoulder every once in awhile. She would never be able to sit still in a room with a man she wasn't familiar with. And God only knew how long it would be before she could ever be intimate with a man again, Randy included.

His name popping up in her thoughts drew Trish out of the cloud. Suddenly she remembered that Randy was already in the room, and she placed her purse down to search for him. She found him in the bedroom, lying down on the bed. The television was on, playing softly in the background, but Trish was not so sure he was even watching. Her notion proved to be true when she shut the set off, and Randy didn't even budge.

Trish took a moment to study him, laying shirtless in black sweatpants before her. She placed a hand over her heart, the tugging sensation she was getting there reminding her just how terribly she had missed him. She immediately walked over to the bed, settling down beside him and burrowing herself into him

"Oh, Randy, I've _missed _you," she breathed, hugging him tightly.

At this point, Randy snapped from his trance and became fully aware of her presence. He pulled her to him, and even though he had done this so many times before, he felt like he was holding her for the first time. He held her close, smiling to himself as he discovered that she still used that same floral scented shampoo he had always loved.

"I love you, Trish," he said, still amazed at how easily the words he had always struggled with rolled off his tongue.

Though she didn't reply in words, Randy knew she loved him as well. The feeling of her heart beating rapidly against his own chest told him so. He couldn't believe it was over. The pain, the heartache, the trauma... it was all done with. No more sleepless nights, no more nightmares. It was almost too good to be true.

"They got Ric today," he noted, out of the blue. Trish cocked her head to the side, eyeing him curiously. "He turned himself in, actually. Right outside his own home."

"Wow," Trish gasped. She had to admit she was a little surprised... she had almost forgotten about Ric. "That's good..."

"Yeah, it is... I guess..." Randy replied, his uneasy tone worrying the blonde diva.

"What's wrong, Randy?"

With a sigh, he shook his head, "Nothing, babe. Just feeling a little nostalgic." When Trish's puzzled gaze did not waiver, he explained. "Ric was like a father to me... I just don't understand how he got swept up in this mess."

"Same way you did, Randy," Trish said. "I guess he wasn't able to pull away like you were. He wasn't as strong as you are."

Randy said nothing for a moment, taking her comment into consideration. The more he thought about it, she had a point. He had spent a great deal of time over the past few days kicking himself in the ass, wondering how in hell he could have been so weak, so naive as to follow Paul, when in reality, he should have been commending himself. He saw the light before it was too late, and he escaped. He got out of a situation not even Dave or the Nature Boy himself could escape. That said tons about his character.

"You're right," he said with a smile, and then added, "but I'm nowhere near as strong as you."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I know you want to just move on, and put all this mess behind us, and I'm all for that. Trust me, this isn't going to be a time in my life I'm going to reflect on very much. But at the same time, there are some things I have to say to you, Trish, before we bury the issue for good," he explained.

He knew some of the things he would mention were very sensitive subjects to Trish, and he didn't want to risk hurting her now, of all times. But he wouldn't be able to live with himself knowing he never said anything to her, never told her how much her strength inspired him to be strong.

"So say them," she insisted, with a firm nod. "I want to hear what you have to say."

Then, it was like the words left him. Trish was staring at him expectantly, and he couldn't remember a damn thing he wanted to say. He had rehearsed the monologue over and over again in his head, at least fifty times that day alone. And now, he was drawing a blank. Then, as he glanced down at her, he decided that he didn't need a mental script. Just looking into those big brown eyes was motivation enough. He'd have to speak from his heart for once.

"It's just that... well, Adam and I have been getting a lot of praise lately, for what we've done. I just think that people are focusing so much on the fact that we 'saved' you that they're starting to neglect the fact that any normal woman would have given up by now. I screwed our relationship up so badly, most women would have sworn off men... and they sure as hell wouldn't have forgiven me. Paul raped you, and yet you still manage to get out of bed each day knowing it only made you stronger. You've been through so much, and yet you still find reason to get up in the morning. Even if we didn't end up together, I'd still love you so much for your courage, and for your will. You amaze me, Trish... you absolutely amaze me."

Randy exhaled slowly as he concluded his mini speech, his eyes settling on his beautiful girlfriend. He felt a pang in his heart as he noticed the tears that had since built in her dark eyes, and using the pad of his thumb, he gently wiped them away. Trish placed her hand over his, her heart nearly pounding joyfully out of her chest. If there were ever any doubts in her mind that this man didn't love her, they were long gone.

"Oh, Randy... I love you," she said, a smile spreading from ear to ear.

Her grin was contagious, and soon enough a similar one spread across Randy's face as well. In a somewhat daring move, he placed his lips on hers, kissing her ever so softly. Had it been any other man, Trish probably would have made a run for it, but not with Randy. It felt right with Randy, just as it always had.

The pair sighed simultaneously, causing Trish to giggle lightly. She smiled again... it felt so good to laugh. And, as she was just recently beginning to realize, it felt so good to be _alive_. Despite all the people who had hurt her in the past few months, she felt as though no one could touch her. Not with Randy by her side.

"It's over, Trish... it's all over," Randy noted, still grinning like a madman.

Tucking a few loose strands of hair behind her ear, Trish craned her neck and kissed him on the cheek.

"This might be over, Randy... but for us, it's only the beginning."

::The End::


End file.
